Nearly half of the United States is suing the Trump administration. Attorneys general from 23 states joined forces on Tuesday to challenge the president for slashing $11 billion in “critical public health funding” that Congress had preserved during the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the group’s complaint, “these termination notices… immediately triggered chaos for State and local health jurisdictions.” Identifying, monitoring, and treating infectious diseases; guaranteeing immunization access; bolstering emergency preparedness; offering mental health and drug abuse services; and updating vital public health infrastructure are just a few of the pressing public health needs that this funding helps to address.
Late last month, Trump made the decision to eliminate the federal financing, and on March 24, it was formally revoked. “Key public health programs” and initiatives that address “ongoing and emerging public health needs” in the various states that are suing will have to be dissolved or disbanded in the upcoming weeks and months if the grants are not restored, according to the attorneys general. Many state and local public health employees and contractors will be let go.
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia are among the states suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania are also parties to the lawsuit.
The states claim that “the result of these massive, unexpected funding terminations is serious harm to public health, cutting off vital public health services and leaving Plaintiff States at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease.” “The Public Health Terminations are illegal under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and go beyond the defendants’ statutory and regulatory authority.”
The AGs contend that the Trump administration’s termination of the public health funds “for cause” is illegal due to “the foreseeable end of the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to their complaint, the defendants have never claimed—much less proven—that fund beneficiaries have not complied with the relevant terms and conditions of the grants and agreements. “The funding in question was not restricted by Congress to the COVID-19 emergency period.”
The states suing Trump claim that during the outbreak, Congressmen made “wide-ranging public health investments” that went beyond COVID-19 and the current public health emergency. According to the AGs, they reviewed COVID-19-related regulations after the epidemic ended and revoked $27 billion in money, but decided to keep the $11 billion that is currently being targeted in place.
“Millions of Americans’ well-being is being attacked by the Trump administration’s unlawful and careless decision to rescind life-saving health funding,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement on Tuesday. “Reversing our efforts on the opioid problem, upending our mental health systems, and leaving hospitals unable to provide patient care would all result from cutting this money now. In order to prevent this callous and ill-considered decision and guarantee that these life-saving initiatives continue, my office is acting right now.
Trump admin sued by 23 states over health funding cuts.
