January 19, 2016

President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

As your Administration completes work on finalizing its FY2016 operating budget for the National Institutes of Health, we write to ask that the NIH budget include the $100 million increase for HIV/AIDS research for FY2016 above FY2015 that your Administration’s budget request publicly committed to in February of 2015.

This is a time to prioritize not cut HIV/AIDS research. NIH-funded HIV/AIDS research has supported innovative basic science for better drug therapies, and behavioral and biomedical prevention interventions that have saved and improved the lives of millions. These advances hold great promise for significantly reducing HIV infection rates and providing more effective treatments for those living with HIV/AIDS in the coming decade. Research advances to develop a preventive vaccine and a cure for HIV infection hold the potential to “end the scourge of HIV/AIDS” as you so eloquently stated in your State of the Union address.

Thank you for considering these views.

Sincerely,

African American Office of Gay Concerns Newark New Jersey AIDS Action Baltimore Baltimore Maryland AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts AIDS Alabama Birmingham Alabama AIDS Alabama South, LLC Mobile Alabama AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families Washington District of Columbia AIDS Foundation of Chicago Chicago Illinois AIDS Network of Western New York Buffalo New York AIDS Project Los Angeles Los Angeles California AIDS Project of the East Bay Oakland California AIDS Resource Center Ohio Columbus Ohio AIDS Resource Council, Inc Rome Georgia AIDS Task of the Upper Ohio Valley Wheeling West Virginia AIDSUnited Washington District of Columbia AL GAMEA Hazel Park Michigan Albany Damien Center Albany New York American Psychological Association Washington District of Columbia American Sexual Health Association Research Triangle North Carolina American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science McLean Virginia Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center San Francisco California Aspirations Baton Rouge Louisiana Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Akron Ohio AVAC New York New York Bienestar Human Services Los Angeles California Boley Centers, Inc Saint Petersburg Florida Boston Health Care for the Homeless Boston Massachusetts Boulder County AIDS Project Boulder Colorado CAEAR Coalition Washington District of Columbia Camden Area Health Education Center Camden New Jersey Cascade AIDS Project Portland Oregon Center for Women Policy Studies Chevy Chase Marlyland Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science - HIV Cluster Los Angeles California Christie's Place San Diego California Coalicion de Coaliciones Pro Personas sin Hogar de PR, Inc. Ponce Puerto Rico Colorado Health Network Denver Colorado Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS Denver Colorado Comer Family Foundation Chicago Illinois Community Couseling Center of SN Las Vegas Nevada Contra Costa Health Services Martinez California Cook County Health and Hospitals Chicago Illinois Core Chicago Illinois Cure for AIDS Coalition Las Vegas Nevada Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Durham North Carolina Duke University Center for AIDS Research Durham North Carolina Duke University Medical Center Durham North Carolina Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Washington District of Columbia emPOWERed Legacies Winter Haven Florida Exponents Inc. New York City New York Fenway Health Boston Massachusetts Francois Xavier Bagnoud Center Newark New Jersey Fundacion Latinoamericana De Accion Social, Inc. Houston Texas G III Associates Washington District of Columbia Gay City Seattle Washington Gay Men's Health Crisis New York New York Georgia AIDS Coalition Snellville Georgia GRACE of Greater Kansas City Olathe Kansas Greater Love HIV Services Dorchester MA H.O.P.E. Alliance Albuquerque New Mexico Harm Reduction Services Sacramento California HealthHIV Washington District of Columbia HEMA Universal Life Community Services, Inc Wichita Kansas HIV Medicine Association Arlington Virginia HIV Prevention Justice Alliance Chicago Illinois HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two Baton Rouge Louisiana Howard Brown Health Chicago Illinois IDSA Center for Global Health Policy Arlington Virginia International AIDS Society Geneva Switzerland International AIDS Vaccine Initiative New York City New York International Partnership for Microbicides Silver Spring Maryland International Rectal Microbicide Advocates Chicago Illinois Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Baltimore Maryland Keiser Health Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Larry Kramer, Founding member of Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP. New York City New York Latino Commission on AIDS New York City New York Lee's Rig Hub Minneapolis Minnesota Legacy Community Health Houston Texas Let's Kick ASS (AIDS Survivor Syndrome) Palm Springs California Los Angeles LGBT Center Los Angeles California Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network Port Barre Louisiana Louisiana Latino Health Coalition for HIV/AIDS Awareness LLHC New Orleans Louisiana Louisiana Public Health Institute New Orleans Louisiana Making a Difference in Bloomington- Normal, Illinois Bloomington Illinois Marin AIDS Project San Rafael California Miriam Hospital STD Clinic Providence Rhode Island Nashville CARES Nashville Tennessee National AIDS Housing Coalition Washington District of Columbia National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors Washington District of Columbia National Coalition of STD Directors Washington District of Columbia National Female Condom Coalition Chicago Illinois National Latino AIDS Action Network Washington District of Columbia National Women's AIDS Collective Washington District of Columbia National Working Positive Coalition Astoria New York Nevada Community Associates, Inc. North Las Vegas Nevada National Minority AIDS Council Washington District of Columbia NO/AIDS Task Force (dba CrescentCare) New Orleans Louisiana North Carolina AIDS Action Network Raleigh North Carolina North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition Raleigh North Carolina PeterCares House Greenbelt Maryland Pierce County AIDS Foundation Tacoma Washington Positive Life Series Palm Springs California Positive Mind and Body Support Group Network Treasure Coast Florida Positively U, Inc. Davenport Florida PoZitive Attitudes Washington District of Columbia Prince George's County Health Department Clinton Maryland Project Inform Los Angeles California PWN USA Ohio Youngstown Ohio Rollins School of Public Health Atlanta Georgia Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center Chicago Illinois Sacramento LGBT Community Center Sacramento California San Francisco AIDS Foundation San Francisco California Seattle Vaccine Trials Network Seattle Washington Shelter Resources, Inc. D.b.a. Belle Reve New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana Sierra Foothills AIDS Foundation Auburn California SisterLove Inc Atlanta Georgia SisterReach Memphis Tennessee Southern AIDS Coalition Birmingham Alabama Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council Lake Charles Louisiana STD/HIV/Hepatitis Branch San Diego County San Diego California Test Positive Aware Network Chicago Illinois The Afiya Center Dallas Texas The AIDS Institute Washington District of Columbia The Miguel Urgell Charitable Foundation Los Angeles California The Philadelphia Center Shreveport Louisiana The Well Project Brooklyn New York Transgender Law Center Oakland California Treatment Action Group New York New York Unconditional Love, Incorporated Melbourne Florida Unity Empowerment Resource Center Columbia South Carolina Unity Fellowship Church New York New York Until There's A Cure Foundation Redwood City California Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services Washington District of Columbia Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville Tennessee Warren-Vance Community Health Center Henderson North Carolina Washington Student Science Association Issaquah Washington Whitman-Walker Health Washington District of Columbia Women Together for Change St. Croix US Virgin Islands YOUR Center Flint Michigan Zephyr LTNP Foundation, Inc. Sacramento California

Cc: Shaun Donovan Dr. Francis Collins Douglas Brooks Adaeze Enekwechi