Hearing Scheduled for 7 a.m. PST at John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston; Register to listen online here
Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of attorneys general today issued a joint statement ahead of a court hearing involving the National Institutes of Health’s unlawful cuts to support medical and public health research. At today’s hearing, the plaintiffs are seeking an extension of the temporary restraining order against this directive from the Trump administration.
“The Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding at thousands of research institutions across the country is not only unlawful; it undermines public health, our economy, and our competitiveness. There are laws in place that protect this funding, and the President cannot simply toss those laws aside.
“This research funding covers expenses that facilitate critical components of biomedical research, such as lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without it, lifesaving and life-extending research, including clinical trials, would be significantly compromised. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has furthered our understanding of medical conditions and found new treatments for adult and childhood cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease, PTSD and more.
“Attorneys general are not just fighting for the rule of law; we are fighting for our loved ones, our friends, and our neighbors, and we will not allow President Trump to play politics with our public health. We are heartened that less than six hours after filing our lawsuit, the Court recognized the devastating impacts of this directive and granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing the administration from implementing these unlawful cuts. Today, we urge the Court to continue to block these funding cuts as we keep fighting this reckless abuse of power.”
On February 10, Rayfield filed a lawsuit as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general against the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the NIH in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. Less than six hours later, the Court issued a temporary restraining order against the NIH, barring it from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research.
Joining Attorney General Dan Rayfield in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.