Maryland has joined 22 other states that are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for ending $11 billion in public health grants.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the stoppage came "with no warning or legally valid explanation" and "have caused chaos for state health agencies that rely on the funds for a wide range of urgent public health needs like infectious disease management, fortifying emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure."
Maryland stands to lose about $200 million from the cancellations, per the AG's Office, and if funding isn't restored, state public health programs and initiatives will have to dissolve or disband, including funding to support vaccination programs, track disease outbreaks, and alleviate health disparities.
“The Trump Administration’s reckless and unlawful termination of $11 billion in critical public health grants is a dangerous assault on our State’s ability to protect our residents when infectious diseases like the measles or bird flu are on the rise,”said Attorney General Brown. “I am outraged that the President would cut this lifeline with zero warning, threatening to dismantle vital health services our communities depend on. I will fight with every legal tool available to reverse this indefensible decision before it costs Marylanders their lives.”
The states suing both HHS and Kennedy Jr. say that the terminations "exceed their statutory and regulatory authority and are unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act."
The Administrative Procedure Act governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.
AG Brown and the coalition maintain that, up until a few days ago, the HHS' stance on the funds was that the end of the pandemic did not affect availability, yet the Feds still decided to terminate them.
Both AG Brown, and the coalition, hope to be granted a temporary restraining order to block Secretary Kennedy's and HHS' mass grant terminations in the suing states.
The states are also asking the court to prevent HHS from maintaining or reinstating the terminations and any agency actions putting them in place.
The full lawsuit can be read here.
