23 States Sue NNS to Stop Billions in Health Grant Funding Cuts

23 States Sue NNS to Stop Billions in Health Grant Funding Cuts - Healthcare Law Update - May 2025 - Brach Eichler
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5/1/2025

An alliance of 23 states and the District of Columbia recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over $11 billion in cuts to public health grants. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in March that it would stop providing the funds, which were allocated by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration’s position is that the cuts were justified because “the COVID-19 pandemic is over.” The lawsuit asks the Court to order the administration to reinstate the funding. On April 3, 2025, a Federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking HHS from enacting the funding cuts during the pendency of the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the funding is used for a variety of urgent public health needs such as tracking infectious diseases, providing access to vaccinations, improving emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure. The plaintiffs also assert that cutting the funding will reverse years of progress on the opioid crisis and mental health, and stress hospital systems to care for additional struggling patients. According to the lawsuit, the funding cuts are illegal because Congress did not limit the funding for use for the COVID-19 pandemic only, and the federal government did not provide a rational basis for rescinding the funding. According to the plaintiffs, these funding cuts will result in serious harm to public health and put states at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease.

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For more information, contact:
Lani M. Dornfeld, CHPC | 973.403.3136 | ldornfeld@bracheichler.com
Richard B. Robins | 973.447.9663 | rrobins@bracheichler.com
Paul DeMartino, Jr. | 973.364.5228 | pdemartino@ bracheichler.com

*This is intended to provide general information, not legal advice. Please contact the authors if you need specific advice.

Lani M. Dornfeld

CHPC, Member
Healthcare Law, Cannabis Industry

973.403.3136 · 973.618.5536 Fax

Richard B. Robins

Member
Healthcare Law, Litigation

973.447.9663 · 973.618.5977 Fax

Paul J. DeMartino, Jr.

Counsel
Healthcare Law, Litigation

973.364.5228 · 973.860.4221 Fax

Related Practices:   Healthcare Law

Related Industry:   Healthcare