AIDS advocates stormed into the congressional office of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday to press for a five-year extension of an AIDS treatment program.
The individuals, described by the Biden administration as protesters entering Capitol buildings to disrupt proceedings, called for a full-term renewal of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR.
The situation grew tense as the activists occupied the Speaker’s office, resulting in the arrest of six individuals by Capitol Police, according to a report from Trending Politics.
The advocates, expressing their demands through chants of “approve PEPFAR now,” were subsequently detained, handcuffed, and escorted out of the premises, as reported.
PEPFAR, which was established in 2003, has played a vital role in addressing the global AIDS epidemic. Its reauthorization has ignited a debate about the appropriate duration for committing additional funding to PEPFAR.