Rep. Robin Kelly helps set the health agenda in Congress

UPDATE—The following day (Tuesday, February 4) after the Monday interview, Rep. Kelly provided this information: PEPFAR has been granted a limited waiver to implement urgent life-saving HIV treatment. Only lifesaving care is being covered but to what extent and what is covered—questions remain even for the compensation of these vital health workers. We know prevention of mother-to-child transmission services (testing and PrEP for people who are pregnant and breastfeeding), and strict costs to deliver and provide oversight including central data platform for clinical monitoring and program management have been resumed during the standing 90-day pause. All of PEPFAR in its totality should and is needed under this waiver to resume.

Improving the health and wellness of vulnerable communities and reducing disparities are part of U.S. Representative Robin Kelly’s agenda. Elected in 2012, Kelly represents part of Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs in Illinois’ 2nd congressional district. As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, she is responsible for advancing the caucus’ health priorities; she also co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls.

The daughter of a small business owner and postal worker, she attended Bradley University in Peoria, where she earned her BA in psychology and an MA in counseling. She later received a PhD in political science from Northern Illinois University. She is an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho, an historically Black sorority.

On a day when government agencies were being threatened with shutdown, Rep. Kelly spoke with POSITIVELY AWARE, discussing the uncertainty in the struggle to preserve HIV funding and sharing her own feelings as a Black woman in Congress.

Even before what’s been happening to USAID and the CDC, we were looking at the prospect of a total of about $700 million in cuts to federal HIV funding being proposed by Republicans. What's happening with that? 

With our leader, Hakeem Jeffries [House minority leader and leader of the House Democratic Caucus], and Rosa DeLauro [Democrat representing Connecticut’s 3rd congressional district and the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee], we are trying to push back to make sure, whether it's for HIV or other lifesaving programs, that those cuts are not occurring. We know who's affected most by those cuts. The Black community is disproportionately affected, and this disparity impacts Black women and queer individuals the most. Many who are most affected face barriers when it comes to even accessing HIV treatment, testing, prevention services and support. We know that when federal funding to these communities is cut, people aren't able to pay for medicines.

The appropriations process is complicated. Where are things at?

We are in [budget] negotiations. There’s threat of a shutdown if we don't get things settled and agreed upon by the middle of March. [The federal government faces a shutdown if a budget agreement is not reached by March 14.] We're trying to not let that happen. But they [Republicans] are in charge, and so it depends on how much they really want to work things out—they’re even fighting with each other, and I don't know where Trump falls in between all of that. 

What sorts of cuts are being considered or how might cuts impact programs like Ryan White or the Ending the Epidemic (EHE) initiative?

They have a certain percentage they want to cut across the board, I can’t tell you what that amount is because every day it seems like it's something different, or every program will have to take a certain cut, and then some programs will have to be cut out completely. We were always fighting [Republicans] around health care issues, even before Trump was there; it's just worse now.

Are we looking at the end of PEPFAR, the U.S. global HIV program?

We’re gonna fight like hell to make sure that doesn't happen. PEPFAR has saved a tremendous amount of lives. We need to keep that program going and funded. We will push back and show how this program has saved so many lives.

If I may ask a personal question, how does it feel being a Black woman, and a Black woman in Congress, at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion is being targeted, at a time when diversity in clinical trials is being threatened?

I will say I love my job, and I’m not going to let any person in the White House or wherever, steal my joy and my passion for the work. But it is very frustrating, and it's frustrating and disappointing that my Republican colleagues have not spoken up—through January 6, through DEI, the tariffs which they don't agree with, and getting rid of the inspectors general [on January 24, Trump fired at least 17 agency watchdogs who had the power to conduct audits and investigations]. It's very, very frustrating. And the DEI part, whoever agrees with [eliminating that] doesn't know the meaning of DEI. DEI means all of us. It's not one group or another; it’s diversity, equity and inclusion. When you think about the Pledge of Allegiance, it says liberty and justice for all. He’s divider-in-chief, and he's playing on people’s fears. That’s why he’s doing all these executive orders, one after another, wanting us to play Whac-A-Mole or whatever.

Are there any persuadable Republicans in the House can to talk to?

I work in a very bipartisan way, but I don't know at this point. It's very disheartening. We have Republicans of color—I haven't heard them say anything either. It seems like everybody's afraid of being primaried [when a politician who steps out of line is faced with an opponent in the primary election] or afraid of him for some reason. But sometimes you’ve gotta fall on your sword for the right thing and for the country.