In a significant development for public health funding, a Judge in the District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order yesterday, blocking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from terminating $11 billion in public health funding announced on March 24, 2025.

This ruling comes on the heels of a complaint filed on April 1, 2025, by over 20 states against HHS and Secretary Kennedy. The states contended that the proposed funding cuts exceeded the defendants’ authority and were arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). They emphasized that the decision to terminate funding—based solely on the assertion that it was no longer necessary in a post-pandemic context—failed to consider individual assessments and disregarded the reliance interests of the states. This, they argued, would lead to immediate and substantial harm to vital public health programs.

Moreover, the plaintiffs pointed out that these terminations were executed without prior notice, a chance for a hearing, or a thorough investigation into compliance with grant terms, thereby violating statutory requirements and the APA.

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