Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has united with 23 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit targeting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The legal action seeks to challenge the unexpected termination of nearly $11 billion in public health grants across the United States, which includes $379.3 million intended for Michigan.

Attorney General Nessel highlighted the termination as a violation of the law, stating, “The Trump administration is now terminating millions in grants being used in our state to support vaccine clinics for kids, crisis mental health services, opioid abuse intervention, and to control disease spread in healthcare facilities. And once again they’re breaking the law to take money that has been granted to the states. These programs keep Michigan healthy and, in some cases, help save lives, and that’s worth standing up and fighting for.”

The cancellation of these public health funds has caused significant disruption to state health agencies relying on these resources for various urgent health needs, including managing infectious diseases and providing mental health services. The loss of nearly $380 million from the sudden HHS decision has impacted Michigan's efforts to upgrade laboratory facilities, fund mental health services, and offer immunizations.

Various grants that Michigan expected to receive have been canceled. These include those dedicated to mental health, substance abuse services, infectious disease control, and vaccination programs. Concerns are mounting as the cessation of these funds affects more than 45 local health departments and 46 community mental health service programs, according to MDHHS affiliates.

The HHS's decision, citing the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for the grant cuts, has drawn criticism for being baseless and causing anxiety among state health workers and their partners. The coalition of attorneys general contests the legality of the termination, arguing it breaches federal law, as the end of the pandemic does not serve as a justifiable reason for stopping the funds.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. The states involved are pursuing a temporary restraining order to invalidate the abrupt and unexpected grant terminations, suggesting the actions conflict with the Administrative Procedure Act.

Alongside Michigan, the lawsuit is backed by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.