The New Congress and HIV/AIDS Care

Health care for people with HIV/AIDS following the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, may have some far-reaching implications, says Phill Wilson of the Black AIDS Institute. Now that the GOP has a sharp majority in the House, key proponents of HIV/AIDS advancement no longer hold leadership roles. Additionally, Republican campaigns this fall focused on reducing federal spending on discretionary programs, such as the Ryan White CARE Act, the HIV prevention program at CDC, and substance abuse and mental health services for people living with HIV. As the candidates on the right campaigned heavily on repealing the contentious health care reform law passed earlier this year, Wilson believes Republicans will not have enough votes to overturn the law, but will withhold important funding streams to help people with HIV/AIDS. "[The] South is a region where Republicans made some of their greatest gains," Wilson said in a statement. "The South also happens to be the region where HIV/AIDS rates among Black people are rising the fastest. It is vital that we help new Congressional leaders from the South understand what the epidemic is doing to their districts and work together to devise new solutions to these challenges."