Dive Brief:
On Thursday a federal judge temporarily blocked the HHS from halting at least $11 billion in public health funding for states, siding with a coalition of 23 states and Washington, D.C. who argued the cuts jeopardized critical health programs.
The states sued the HHS and agency head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 1, asking the court to preserve funds they said helped address urgent public health needs, including tracking infectious diseases and providing mental health and substance abuse services.
Judge Mary McElroy, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, granted an emergency restraining order during a hearing Thursday, citing a “voluminous” list of harms documented by the plaintiffs.
Dive Insight:
The lawsuit centers around funds allocated by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, plaintiffs began to receive termination notices from the HHS that said “the pandemic is over” and so the grants were no longer necessary.
The states disagree, arguing the money funds initiatives that extend well beyond COVID response programs, including childhood vaccination drives and mental health and substance use efforts.
The suit is brought by attorneys general and governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and D.C.
Plaintiffs filed thousands of pages of exhibits attached to their complaint detailing alleged harms associated with the terminated funds.
In California, for example, the state will lose $972 million that went in part to help fund vaccinations of 4.5 million children, according to a statement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
If Minnesota loses $250 million as planned, the Minnesota Department of Health will have to lay off approximately 12% of its workforce, or 200 people, according to the complaint.
Plaintiffs, including New York AG Letitia James, Minnesota AG Keith Ellison and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro cheered the restraining order on X.
“As a result of taking the Administration to court, these dollars will now start flowing again,” Shapiro said Thursday.
The court will next hear arguments on April 16.
