19 States Sue HHS Secretary Kennedy Over Alleged Dismantling of Public Health Services

In a significant development this week, a coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other top health officials in the Trump administration. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, May 5, 2025, seeks to block what the plaintiffs describe as the "unconstitutional and illegal dismantling" of the Department of Health and Human Services. The attorneys general allege that Secretary Kennedy has "systematically deprived HHS of the resources necessary to do its job" during his three months in office. The lawsuit claims these actions have had "severe, complicated, and potentially irreversible" consequences, including missed drug review deadlines and hampered public health programs. This legal challenge comes in response to Kennedy's March announcement of a sweeping reorganization of HHS, which put approximately 10,000 jobs on the chopping block. The Food and Drug Administration was particularly affected, losing around 3,500 staff members. The states argue these cuts have disrupted their access to crucial data and grants for various programs, including worker safety initiatives and the Head Start preschool program. The plaintiffs also claim that key disease testing laboratories have been shuttered, forcing states to find new partners for complex testing previously handled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lawsuit specifically references how these cuts have impeded responses to a growing measles outbreak and efforts to track cancer risks among U.S. firefighters. Adding to the controversy, Kennedy has reportedly acknowledged that about 20% of the job cuts at HHS may need to be reversed due to "mistakes" in the implementation process. The FDA is now said to be rehiring key staff involved in negotiations over user fee programs, which are crucial for the agency's operations. This lawsuit is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges to the Trump administration's cost-cutting initiatives. Almost two dozen states sued HHS last month over cuts to public health grants, and labor unions have filed lawsuits against the government regarding cuts to other agencies. The legal action follows recent calls for Kennedy's resignation or removal from organizations like Doctors for America and the American Public Health Association. On April 15, Doctors for America issued a statement declaring Kennedy "unfit to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary," citing his advancement of health misinformation and dismantling of public health services. Similarly, the American Public Health Association expressed concerns about Kennedy's policies, describing them as "a danger to the public's health." Kennedy was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of HHS on February 13, 2025, as part of President Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which aims to address chronic disease prevention and management within a two-year timeframe. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.