Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure preliminary injunction to halt public health grant cuts

Published on Friday, May 16, 2025

Attorney General Neronha today released the following statement after a Rhode Island court granted a preliminary injunction filed by his office and a coalition of 22 other attorneys general to stop the abrupt and illegal termination of nearly $11 billion in critical public health grants to the states.

“If we don’t have our health, we don’t have anything, and that’s why today’s preliminary injunction is such a critical win,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Earlier this week, Secretary Kennedy told Congress that doesn’t think people should take medical advice from him, and yet by overseeing an attempt to eliminate billions in critical funding for essential public health initiatives, American people will live and die by his decisions. I am grateful that this funding, which focuses on childhood vaccination and immunization, health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations, and laboratory testing capacity, among other initiatives, will again be available to our states. A hacksaw approach to government reduction will never yield positive results for the American people, and we will continue to fight, and win, in court to minimize the harm the Trump Administration is causing the people of this country.”

Attorney General Neronha co-leads this lawsuit with Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado, Attorney General Rob Bonta of California, Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota, and Attorney General Nick Brown of Washington. They are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin. 

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