A coalition of 23 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the Trump administration’s decision to cut $11 billion in federal public health funding, including money allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filed in federal court in Rhode Island, the suit includes attorneys general from New York, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and others. It also includes Govs. Andy Beshear (KY) and Josh Shapiro (PA).
The lawsuit argues that rescinding the funds is unlawful and will severely undermine health programs nationwide, including vaccination efforts, mental health services, and opioid treatment.
“Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which began issuing dismissal notices as part of an expected 10,000 layoffs, declined to comment. A spokesperson previously stated the agency was halting spending on a “non-existent pandemic.”
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