Recent scientific advances have demonstrated that placing patients on antiretroviral therapy not only turns a former death sentence diagnosis into a manageable chronic condition, but that it also significantly prevents further spread of the virus. These findings confirm that funding treatment widely is a vital step to end preventable suffering from HIV and AIDS and to curb the pandemic once and for all. The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief currently provides life-saving HIV treatment to 6.7 million people across the globe. The plan’s success in expanding HIV treatment access constitutes a major victory not only for public health but also for economic growth, as several studies have demonstrated the significant economic benefits of placing people on treatment early saves money in the long run by avoiding future health care expenses and increasing labor productivity.

But as the successes of science and medicine point ambitiously toward the end of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, U.S. political will is faltering at this crucial juncture. In July, the Senate voted to cut $300 million from the global AIDS budget — a massive blow that comes on top of an aggregate $600 million in global AIDS funding cuts since 2011.

The United States supports the global fight against HIV and AIDS through two main funding mechanisms: the emergency plan for AIDS relief and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The $300 million cut comes from funds that cannot be used toward the global fund this year due to the amount pledged by other donor nations. However, rather than diverting these funds toward the plan to keep overall funding levels the same as last year, the Senate has instead cut the $300 million completely. With these cuts, the plan would see the lowest treatment enrollment rates since the program began in 2003. For the plan — a program that has had incredible success reducing suffering from HIV and AIDS worldwide — these cuts will deny treatment to some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. With drastically fewer resources available for HIV and AIDS programs, waiting lines will grow longer as more patients find themselves unable to access life-saving treatment.

But Sens. Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley can help ensure this does not become a reality. As budget negotiations continue this month, we call on Sens. Harkin and Grassley to take a stand and demand that any unmatched funds that cannot be pledged to the global fund are moved to the emergency plan for AIDS relief, thus avoiding the projected $300 million cut to the overall global AIDS budget. With their help, we can ensure that the consequences of a difficult financial climate are not borne by poor patients across the world. Instead, we will continue, unfailingly, toward the AIDS-free generation now within our grasp.