Press Release  AG Campbell Applauds Judge’s Ruling Blocking Trump Administration From Illegally Cutting Funds For Medical And Public Health Research

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today issued the following statement after a federal judge set aside the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate hundreds of crucial biomedical research grants, declaring the move “illegal” and “void” and specifically condemning “clear” evidence of discrimination against the LGBTQ community and racial minorities. The judge sided with a coalition of 16 attorneys general, led by AG Campbell and the Attorneys General of California, Maryland, and Washington State, who are suing the Trump Administration over its unlawful attempt to disrupt grant funding issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

“Since taking office, Donald Trump has worked overtime to attack our nation’s health care system, including illegally eliminating critical research grants that prioritize the health of women, our LGBTQ+ community, and communities of color. Today’s ruling was a win for all of us and a rebuke of the discriminatory actions carried out by this Administration,” said AG Campbell. “We won’t let this Administration play politics with our public health or violate the law. I look forward to seeing these federal funds restored to life-saving and critical health care and research.”

The lawsuit, filed on April 4, alleged that NIH had terminated large swaths of already-issued grants for projects that are currently underway based on the projects’ perceived connection to “DEI,” “transgender issues,” “vaccine hesitancy,” and other topics disfavored by the current Administration. In boilerplate letters issued to the grants’ recipients, NIH claimed that each cancelled project “no longer effectuates agency priorities.” Siding with the states, today Judge William G. Young denounced these actions, stating that he had “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years on the bench, and that he would “be blind not to call it out.”

Today’s court ruling halted the cancellation of millions of dollars that have already been awarded to address important public health needs and will allow funding for life-saving medical research to continue, including 20 grants to Massachusetts State Universities. The coalition will be filing a proposed order with the court in the coming days.  

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