Judge halts HHS plan to kill $11B in public health grants

A federal judge in Rhode Island froze a Trump administration plan to cut more than $11 billion in public health grants to state and local health departments that Congress allocated during the pandemic.

Why it matters: The Health and Human Services Department said the move was on the grounds that the pandemic was over. But it cast doubt on states' ability to contain infectious diseases, ensure access to vaccines and continue substance use disorder programs, among other efforts.

Driving the news: Judge Mary S. McElroy granted a temporary restraining order Thursday in response to a lawsuit filed by 23 states and the District of Columbia.

• The states had argued HHS "arbitrarily" stopped the funding without advance notice.
• "This funding provides essential support for a wide range of urgent public health needs," they wrote.
• The cuts endanger the public and violate the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding the agency's regulatory authority, they wrote.

HHS declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

Catch up quick: States have also sued to block caps on NIH grants covering overhead at universities and medical research centers. A judge also granted a temporary freeze in that case.