Attorneys general from 19 states and Washington, D.C., are contesting reductions to the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) agency, arguing that the Trump administration’s sweeping restructuring has dismantled critical programs and forced states to bear the financial burden of worsening health crises.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Joining the complaint were attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
The attorneys general allege that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reorganized the agency in March, eliminating over 10,000 employees and consolidating 28 agencies under HHS into 15. An additional 10,000 employees had already been dismissed during former President Donald Trump’s administration, bringing total workforce reductions to 25%.
“In its first three months, Secretary Kennedy and this administration deprived HHS of the resources necessary to do its job,” the attorneys general stated.
Kennedy has defended the layoffs as an effort to streamline public health agencies and reduce redundancies. The cuts were part of an initiative called the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) directive.
HHS, one of the government’s most expensive agencies, operates on an annual budget of roughly $1.7 trillion, primarily funding Medicare and Medicaid.
The lawsuit claims the cuts have led to reduced infectious disease testing, halted cancer risk tracking for firefighters, uncertainty for early childhood education programs, and closures of cancer and maternal health initiatives. Additionally, reductions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have hindered states’ responses to a major measles outbreak.
“This chaos and abandonment of the Department’s core functions was not an unintended side effect, but rather the intended result,” of the MAHA Directive, the lawsuit argues. The states seek to overturn the directive, contending that the administration lacks authority to unilaterally dismantle congressionally mandated programs.
The restructuring also eliminated the team managing federal poverty guidelines, which determine eligibility for Medicaid and nutrition assistance. A tobacco prevention agency was severely cut, and staffing at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration was significantly reduced.
The Trump administration faces additional legal challenges over public health funding cuts, including a lawsuit from 23 states regarding an $11 billion reduction in COVID-19 and public health initiatives.
