{"id":1911,"date":"2026-01-07T19:55:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T00:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1911"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:38:38","slug":"hhs-cuts-11-billion-in-public-health-grants-to-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/hhs-cuts-11-billion-in-public-health-grants-to-states\/","title":{"rendered":"HHS Cuts $11 Billion in Public Health Grants to States"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Sues to Over\u00adturn Pub\u00adlic Health Grant Cuts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Health and Human Ser\u00advices (HHS) began ter\u00admi\u00adnat\u00ading $11 bil\u00adlion of health fund\u00ading to states and state agen\u00adcies. Accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit, the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion said the fund\u00ading was no longer nec\u00ades\u00adsary because it was allo\u00adcat\u00aded to the states dur\u00ading the COVID-19 pan\u00addem\u00adic and the gov\u00adern\u00admen\u00adt\u2019s pan\u00addem\u00adic emer\u00adgency dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion had been expired for almost two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

States received notices say\u00ading their grants were being can\u00adcelled, how\u00adev\u00ader, some of the fund\u00ading was not set to expire until as late as sum\u00admer 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccord\u00ading to Defen\u00addants, this vital pub\u00adlic health fund\u00ading has been ter\u00admi\u00adnat\u00aded \u2018for cause\u2019 because \u2018the grants and coop\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive agree\u00adments were issued for a lim\u00adit\u00aded pur\u00adpose: to ame\u00adlio\u00adrate the effects of the pan\u00addem\u00adic,\u201d accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit. \u201c \u2018Now that the pan\u00addem\u00adic is over, the grants and coop\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive agree\u00adments are no longer nec\u00ades\u00adsary as their lim\u00adit\u00aded pur\u00adpose has run out\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quotes in the law\u00adsuit are ref\u00ader\u00adenc\u00ading lan\u00adguage from a Notice of Award issued by HHS on March 24, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release from April 1, 2025, \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong today joined a coali\u00adtion of 23 states and the Dis\u00adtrict of Colum\u00adbia in fil\u00ading a law\u00adsuit against the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Health and Human Ser\u00advices and HHS Sec\u00adre\u00adtary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for abrupt\u00adly and ille\u00adgal\u00adly ter\u00admi\u00adnat\u00ading $11 bil\u00adlion in crit\u00adi\u00adcal pub\u00adlic health grants to the states.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law\u00adsuit argued that the ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtions, which were done with no warn\u00ading or \u201clegal\u00adly valid expla\u00adna\u00adtion\u201d and that the expi\u00adra\u00adtion of the emer\u00adgency pan\u00addem\u00adic dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion is not a valid \u201cfor cause\u201d rea\u00adson. The law\u00adsuit alleges that the ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtions exceed the defen\u00addan\u00adt\u2019s statu\u00adto\u00adry and reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adto\u00adry author\u00adi\u00adty and vio\u00adlate the Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtive Pro\u00adce\u00addures Act (APA). Nor\u00admal\u00adly, the only \u201cfor cause\u201d rea\u00adson would be the grant recip\u00adi\u00aden\u00adt\u2019s \u201cmate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal fail\u00adure to com\u00adply with the agree\u00adment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cCon\u00adnecti\u00adcut stands to lose approx\u00adi\u00admate\u00adly $175 mil\u00adlion for a wide range of essen\u00adtial pub\u00adlic health, men\u00adtal health, and addic\u00adtion ser\u00advices, such as dis\u00adease out\u00adbreak sur\u00adveil\u00adlance, new\u00adborn screen\u00adings, child\u00adhood immu\u00adniza\u00adtions, and test\u00ading for virus\u00ades and oth\u00ader pathogens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

April 11, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-00121<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of Col\u00adorado et al v. U.S. Depart\u00adment of Health and Human Ser\u00advices, et al.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs<\/strong>: 23 states and D.C.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n