NY and other states sue to block $11B in health care cuts ordered by Trump

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of her counterparts from other states have asked a federal judge to block some $11 billion in cuts to public health initiatives ordered by the Trump administration.

A complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island asks a judge to temporarily halt last week’s abrupt and sweeping cuts to public health programs ordered by the Trump administration, pending consideration of state government challenges.

The lawsuit alleges that the health cuts are unlawful because they undermine Congress’s constitutional power over federal spending. The cuts include more than $11 billion in federal health grants that were approved by Congress during the COVID pandemic, including more than $360 million for New York state.

At least 23 employees at the state Department of Health have already been laid off as a result of the cuts, and additional layoffs are likely, James said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.

“The Trump administration’s illegal and irresponsible decision to claw back life-saving health funding is an attack on the well-being of millions of Americans,” James said in the statement. “My office is taking immediate action to stop this heartless and shortsighted move and ensure these life-saving programs remain intact.”

There was no immediate comment from the administration.

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week said the money, tied to federal COVID relief, supported the state’s overall efforts to monitor and respond to infectious diseases. The funds also support a range of mental health and substance use treatment services and community-based efforts to improve maternal health and food security.

The governor urged New York House members who are part of the Republican majority in Congress to join in the fight against the cuts.

About $100 million of the slashed funding went toward public health efforts in New York City, according to the City Council.

The Trump administration has argued that the funding is no longer needed because the pandemic is over.

"[The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again," Andrew Nixon, communications director for the department, said in a statement on the cuts.

James and other attorneys general have filed a flurry of lawsuits since President Donald Trump took office to push back on his executive orders and other attempted funding cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency, as directed by Elon Musk.

These include lawsuits to stop DOGE from accessing Americans’ private information via the treasury, and to prevent Trump from revoking birthright citizenship, among other actions. Some of these suits have resulted in temporary injunctions.

At a City Council hearing on the health budget last week, Dr. Michelle Morse, the city’s acting health commissioner, raised concerns about the lack of stability in public health funding. She noted that even if the public health emergency related to COVID-19 is over, there are still several “unique infectious disease threats” facing the city, including measles, bird flu and tuberculosis.

This article was updated with additional information about the lawsuit.