Actor Javier Muñoz and drag performer Peppermint are urging Congress not to reduce HIV-related federal funding, warning lawmakers that proposed budget cuts could result in a return to the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The two activists visited Capitol Hill this week ahead of the House Appropriations Committee’s upcoming vote on the fiscal year 2026 funding bill.
Muñoz, who played Alexander Hamilton in Broadway’s Hamilton and has lived with HIV for over two decades, delivered emotionally charged remarks to the press, claiming the cuts threaten his ability to “maintain breathing and living.” He warned, “We will be back to HIV wards, AIDS wards, in hospitals… We will watch our loved ones die again.”
Peppermint, a transgender drag queen and former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, echoed the sentiment and urged Americans to make use of government-funded clinics while they still can. She pushed people to get regularly tested for sexually transmitted diseases, saying, “Take advantage of these services while you have them.”
The Biden administration’s health policies have funneled billions of dollars into HIV treatment and prevention programs, much of which is now under review as Congress weighs broader spending cuts. House Republicans have pushed for greater fiscal restraint and oversight across all federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, citing ballooning national debt and wasteful spending.
Advocates like Muñoz and Peppermint argue that even modest reductions to HIV programs would disproportionately affect LGBTQ communities and low-income patients. Critics, however, accuse them of political fearmongering and emotional manipulation, especially as House Republicans have not proposed ending the programs—only reducing duplicative spending.
The funding bill is expected to move through the House Appropriations Committee before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Republican leaders have signaled they are looking to prioritize core health services while trimming bureaucratic overhead and activist-driven programs.
