Hey John,

In these times, we don't often get to write to you saying this, but today...we won!!!! A few weeks ago we wrote to you about how Congress had proposed an astonishing $767 million in cuts to HIV funding - zero'ing out the Ending the HIV Epidemic program!
 
We were mad. You got mad. You rallied. And we helped our coalition partners send nearly 7,000 letters to Congress (of which, we believe activists with Advocates for Youth contributed over 1,600 letters).

Thanks to the tireless work by PrEP4All, AVAC, HIVMA, and the PrEP in Black America coalition, and activists like you who sent letters and posted on social media, Congress is now on track to pass a budget that funds domestic HIV programs at the same level as last year and even lifts up calls for a National PrEP Program.

Our Congress is filled with people who want to cut spending — extremists even held up support for international AIDS relief over BS about abortion before finally giving in this week. So this victory is a big deal.

There's more too! According to the press release from the leaders of this campaign cited above (quoted below), this victory also entails:  

• "a previous $25M increase going toward CDC’s efforts to improve equitable PrEP access will be preserved, which is critical as advocates continue to engage with CDC on ways to establish a foundation for a National PrEP Program using existing funds."
• "Congress also included final report language directing CDC to increase access to PrEP and cited previous calls from the Senate to establish the 'building blocks of a national program to increase awareness of PrEP, increase access to PrEP medication, [and] laboratory services…'"

That's activism at work! $767 million in cuts: STOPPED. Now there's so much more work to do to ensure everyone has access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. But we must celebrate victories when they come. Congratulations!

In Solidarity,

Geoff Corey
Director, Campaigns & Rapid Response
Advocates for Youth

P.S. This action was originally sent to you during the CommuniTEA Week of Action, which was funded and supported by ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action Risk to Reasons Initiative

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