Christian music icon Amy Grant used her recent concert to speak out against proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS relief funding.
During a concert at a Nashville-area church, Grant paused between songs, pulled out her phone, and called the office of U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN). With her voice on speaker and the crowd listening, she left a message.
“Hi, Senator Hagerty, hi, this is Amy Grant,” she said. “I’m standing on stage singing to over a thousand people, and I wanted to speak on behalf of all of us to say that President Trump’s budget suggests that funding for PEPFAR should be cut by 50 percent this year. We want you to know that here in Nashville we want to see full funding of PEPFAR so we can stay on track to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.”
Grant’s words drew loud applause. It wasn’t a usual moment for a worship concert. But the issue is personal for her — and part of a longer story tied to Nashville.
PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was started by President George W. Bush in 2003. It has saved an estimated 25 million lives, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, through testing, treatment, and prevention programs. Bush launched it with strong support from both parties, including evangelical leaders and artists like Bono, who made frequent trips to Nashville to rally support.
Grant said she wanted to carry that work forward.
“I know this feels far away,” she told the crowd, “but I believe we can still be the kind of people who care for others — especially when the need is so great, and the solution is working.”
The proposed cuts would slash the program’s funding in half. Critics say that could derail progress toward controlling the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Tennessee has its own reasons to care. Nashville faith leaders and musicians were among those who helped build support for PEPFAR in the early 2000s. Churches raised money and awareness. Pastors preached about global responsibility. Grant said she remembered that time — and didn’t want to see the work undone.
Several in the audience held up their phones to record the moment. Some nodded along in agreement. Others wiped away tears.
“I’ve sung a lot of songs about love and healing,” Grant said after hanging up. “This is just another way of putting that into practice.”
Senator Hagerty has not yet responded publicly to Grant’s message.
For now, she hopes her call — and the message from her crowd — gets through.
