By Matthew Reichbach
Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that he joined a coalition of two dozen attorneys general in suing the federal government over terminating federal health grants.
The lawsuit targets the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over $11 billion in public health grants. New Mexico would lose over $40 million in grants if the cuts go into effect.
The lawsuit claims Kennedy did not have the authority to unilaterally end the funding streams to states and that it would take congressional approval to do so. HHS canceled the grants “for cause,” which the attorneys general said only applies when the state did not apply to the grant terms.
HHS only offered a “boilerplate” termination notice, per the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit in federal court in Rhode Island.
“Cuts to HHS will have a devastating impact on our state, slashing critical funding for infectious disease research and response,” said Attorney General Torrez. “At a time when measles cases are on the rise, restricting these resources endangers public health and weakens our ability to prevent outbreaks and protect our communities. We are proud to join our Attorneys General from across the country to file this action and highlight how important these funds are to our communities.”
The New Mexico Department of Health referred all questions to the New Mexico DOJ.
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