WASHINGTON — Public well being specialists warned Tuesday that $600 million in cuts to federal public well being funding introduced by the Trump administration would endanger one among California’s principal early-warning methods for HIV outbreaks, leaving communities weak to undetected illness unfold.
The grant terminations have an effect on funding for quite a few illness management packages in California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, however the overwhelming majority goal California, in accordance with congressional Democrats who obtained the complete record of affected packages Monday. The transfer is the newest within the White Home’s marketing campaign towards what it referred to as “radical gender ideology” on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
“These cuts will harm important efforts to forestall the unfold of illness,” stated Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). “It’s harmful, and it’s deliberate.”
Underneath Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC has more and more turned away from evidence-backed HIV monitoring and prevention packages, claiming they “undermined core American values.”
The stoppage will derail $1.1 million slated for the Los Angeles County Division of Public Well being’s Nationwide HIV Behavioral Surveillance Venture, in accordance with the president’s price range workplace.
This system is a “crucial” device used to detect rising HIV traits, stop outbreaks earlier than they unfold and scale back HIV incidence, stated Dr. Paul Simon, an epidemiologist on the UCLA Fielding College and former chief science officer for the county’s public well being division.
“With out this program, we’re flying blind. Step one in addressing any public well being menace is knowing what’s occurring on the bottom,” Simon stated. “With HIV specifically, individuals typically don’t have any signs for years and might unknowingly unfold the virus.”
The White Home gave little clarification for the transfer however claimed the packages it focused “promote DEI and radical gender ideology.”
Simon pushed again on the declare, calling the transfer “harmful” and “shortsighted.”
“It’s notably harmful to place your head within the sand and fake there’s not an issue,” Simon stated. “The success we’ve had over the previous a long time comes from discovering circumstances early. … By treating individuals early, we are able to stop transmission.”
A number of native front-line service suppliers have been focused for cuts together with the Los Angeles LGBT Heart, which is ready to lose $383,000 in investments for group HIV prevention packages.
The LGBT Heart has not obtained official discover of the elimination however stated the cuts would disproportionately have an effect on LGBTQ+ communities and different underserved populations.
“These selections aren’t guided by public well being proof, however by politics — and the implications are actual,” LGBT Heart Chief Government Joe Hollendoner stated in an announcement. “Any discount in funding instantly impacts our potential to offer care, prevention and lifesaving companies to the individuals who depend on us.”
The Trump administration’s introduced cuts are more likely to face challenges from states and grant recipients.
The LGBT Heart succeeded final 12 months in blocking comparable grant cancellations stemming from the president’s government orders. A federal decide in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction ruling the administration couldn’t use government orders to “weaponize Congressionally appropriated funds” to bypass statutory funding obligations.
“We stand able to deliver extra litigation towards this administration whether it is required with the intention to defend our group,” Hollendoner stated.
For the document:
3:44 p.m. Feb. 10, 2026Feedback by Joe Hollendoner, chief government of the Los Angeles LGBT Heart, have been incorrectly attributed to heart spokesperson Brian De Los Santos in an earlier model of this text.
The White Home has repeatedly pushed to halt the movement of billions of {dollars} to California and different states led by Democrats, a method that has sharpened partisan tensions and expanded the scope of California’s authorized battle towards the administration.
In January, administration officers stated they might freeze $10 billion in federal baby care, welfare and social companies funding for California and 4 different states, however a federal decide blocked the trouble.
Trump later stated he would start blocking federal funds to “sanctuary” jurisdictions reminiscent of California and Los Angeles, which have lengthy opposed cooperation with federal immigration businesses.
Final 12 months, the administration made broad cuts to federal funding for minority-serving establishments, leaving California faculties scrambling to determine find out how to substitute or do with out the cash. Federal officers argued that such packages have been racially discriminatory.
In June, California congressional Democrats demanded the discharge of $19.8 million in frozen HIV prevention grants to the L.A. County Division of Public Well being. That freeze pressured the county to terminate contracts with 39 group well being suppliers and almost shut down HIV testing and different companies on the Los Angeles LGBT Heart.
The administration reversed course after sustained stress from Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) and 22 fellow Home Democrats.
“These grants save lives,” Friedman stated of current terminations. “They join homeless individuals to care, they help front-line organizations preventing HIV, and so they construct the general public well being infrastructure that protects my constituents. Similar to I did final time the Trump Administration got here after our communities, I received’t cease preventing again.”
In a letter to Kennedy final 12 months, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Lengthy Seaside) stated that the Cupboard secretary has a historical past of peddling misinformation in regards to the virus and illness.
Kennedy’s motivations are “grounded not in sound science, however in misinformation and disinformation you might have unfold beforehand about HIV and AIDS, together with your repeated declare that HIV doesn’t trigger AIDS,” Garcia wrote.
Gov. Gavin Newsom referred to as President Trump’s newest threats to public well being funding “a well-known sample,” and shed doubt on their long-term authorized viability.
“The President publicly claims he’ll rip away public well being funding from states that voted towards him, whereas providing no particulars or formal discover,” Newsom stated. “If or when the Trump administration takes motion, we are going to reply appropriately. Till then, we are going to move on collaborating in his try to chase headlines.”
