Based on reporters who were present, a small group of activists approached House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office on Monday and conducted a demonstration.
Several people posted a video of the protestors urging McCarthy, a California Republican, to support the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on X (previously Twitter), including Politico reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein.
If it is not extended, the authorization for PEPFAR, a government initiative that collaborates with charity organizations to give HIV/AIDS medication to individuals globally, will expire on September 30. Republicans who believe the program might be used to help or support abortion services oppose its continuation.
Seven protesters were detained by the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), according to Ollstein.
The protest was coordinated by the advocacy organizations Housing Works and Health GAP (Global Access Project).