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A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration’s plan to cut more than $11 billion in public health grants, siding with a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia that sued to keep the money flowing.
U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy of Rhode Island, in a 60-page ruling issued on May 16, concluded that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) likely violated federal law when it abruptly terminated grants supporting vaccine access, mental health programs, addiction treatment, and pandemic preparedness. McElroy found the terminations were issued without warning, adequate justification, or legal authority.
“Agencies do not have unfettered power to further a president’s agenda,” McElroy wrote. The judge said that the executive branch cannot disregard funds already appropriated by Congress. She noted the states had shown a “strong likelihood of success” in their legal claims and stood to suffer irreparable harm if the cuts were allowed to proceed....
