A coalition of attorneys general from 23 states has sued the Trump administration over its decision to revoke $11 billion in federal health funding, arguing that the move is illegal and endangers public health across the country.
The lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in Rhode Island.
According to the news agency AP, the move aims to block the administration from pulling back funds that were originally allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic for testing, vaccination, mental health services and addiction treatment.
The states involved in the lawsuit include New York, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia.
“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 Tuesday.
As per the news agency Reuters, the US department of health and human services (HHS) defended the cuts, stating that “the Covid-19 pandemic is over” and that taxpayer dollars should no longer be spent on what the agency described as a “non-existent pandemic”.
The funding in question was being used by states not only for pandemic-related efforts but also for tracking other infectious diseases such as measles and bird flu, as well as supporting mental health services and addiction treatment programs, reported Reuters.
Local and state health departments have warned that the sudden withdrawal of funds will lead to massive job losses, with some infectious disease teams expected to lose up to 90% of their staff.
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