The Trump administration is contemplating a strategic consolidation of two parallel HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives, currently managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
This move, aimed at reducing costs, was disclosed by an administration official to Fox News Digital. The proposed changes will focus on trimming administrative expenses and expenditures related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
As reported by Fox News, this proposal remains in its nascent stages, described as "a concept of a plan." The intention is to unify these programs under the HRSA umbrella to enhance operational efficiency, aligning with the administration's broader objective of streamlining federal operations.
The official emphasized the redundancy of maintaining two separate programs with identical functions, noting, "One of those things is still very preliminary, but obviously, you don't need two $1 billion budgets for this, with $1 billion going to the CDC and $1 billion going to HRSA." The consolidation is expected to address administrative overheads and related expenditures.
Both the CDC and HRSA operate under the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The official further elaborated, "If this goes through, that will be more definitive like with examining DEI spending with these two programs." This initiative follows the administration's earlier efforts to curtail federal funding for DEI programs, as outlined in the executive order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing."
The CDC's department focuses on preventing HIV and other infectious diseases, while HRSA administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP), which provides medical care for low-income individuals living with HIV. In 2019, during his first term, President Trump launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, targeting a 75% reduction in HIV cases by 2025 and a 90% reduction by 2030. This initiative is managed by the CDC.
This proposal emerges amidst significant restructuring across various federal sectors, directed by President Trump and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Recent weeks have witnessed mass layoffs, affecting thousands of federal employees.
The administration's focus on reducing government size and expenditure reflects its commitment to conservative principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility.
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