The Human Rights Campaign issued the following statement in response to the Trump-Pence Administration’s dangerous and irresponsible FY 2019 proposed budget released on Monday:

“Budgets reflect your values. The Trump-Pence budget released today shows a callous disregard for critical programs that impact LGBTQ Americans,” said David Stacy, HRC’s Government Affairs Director. “The elimination or slashing of programs related to the Affordable Care Act, HIV/AIDS, and international humanitarian projects are a direct threat to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ people here and around the world. Congress must reject these harmful proposals.”

The budget proposal released by the Trump-Pence administration on Monday includes inadequate funding  for vital services and programs that are essential to LGBTQ people:

• Repeals the Affordable Care Act, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would lead to 15 million people losing access to quality healthcare
• Cuts to domestic HIV/AIDS programs, despite the growing needs. Includes elimination of Special Programs of National Significance (SPNS)
• Cutting well over a billion in funding for global HIV programs
• Proposes elimination of the evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program while promoting harmful and discredited abstinence-only-until-marriage funding
• Cutting $500 million from the Migration and Refugee Assistance program
• Guts the DOJ Community Relations Service by cutting funding and transferring to DOJ Civil Rights Division which eliminates its independence which is critical to its mission

The Human Rights Campaign has always fought for the safety, dignity, and respect of LGBTQ people, and will not stop fighting against attacks that seek to diminish and eliminate programs and services that are essential to LGBTQ people.