Illinois AG sues to stop dismantling of Health and Human Services department

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — A group of 20 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, are suing the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the dismantling of HHS.

Raoul announced the lawsuit on Monday. In a news release, he said that thousands of federal health works have been fired, important programs have ended, and states have faced a mounting health crisis without federal support.

Raoul and the attorneys general argue that HHS has been robbed of the resources needed to serve the American people. Now, they’re asking the court to halt further dismantling, and to restore key programs.

“Since its founding, HHS has administered crucial offices and programs dedicated to protecting and advancing the health and well-being of all Americans. Programs like Head Start are critical to ensuring all children have access to resources that put them on an early path to success. And tracking diseases like the measles is more important than ever,” Raoul said. “I am proud to once again stand with my colleagues, this time urging the court to halt the mass firings, reverse the illegal reorganization and restore critical health services Illinoisans and all Americans depend on.” 

In March, Kennedy restructured the department’s 28 agencies into 15. He also announced mass firings, and reduced the department’s employees from 85,000 to 65,000. In April, 10,000 HHS employees were fired, and half of the HHS’s regional offices were closed.

Raoul added that the changes have wrecked havoc. Shut downs, such as the surveillance programs for black lung disease, the federal mask approval laboratory (which provides access to N95 masks), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infectious disease laboratories have led to a lack of protection for workers, and have reduced or halted the federal government’s ability to monitor diseases.

In the lawsuit, the coalition also said that hundreds working on mental health and addiction treatment have been fired. This includes half of the workforce at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All SAMHSA regional offices have been closed.

These closures have also put pregnant people and newborns at risk. The entire CDC maternal health team has been fired, and Head Start centers could face closures.

Raoul and the coalition argue that these actions implicate hundreds of federal statutes and regulations. And, that by taking these actions without congressional approval, the administration is “disregarding the constitutional separation of powers and undermining the laws and budgets enacted by Congress to protect public health.”

This lawsuit comes after a coalition of 24 attorneys general filed a suit against the Trump admiration for cutting billions of dollars in health grants to states. A temporary restraining order was administered on April 4.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing this most recent lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.