States Sue to Block $600 Million Cut to Public Health Funds

Key TakeawaysFour states are suing to stop $600 million in public health cutsThe funding supports disease tracking and outbreak preventionThe lawsuit aims to stop major cuts to public health programs.FRIDAY, Feb. 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Four states are suing to stop the Trump administration from rescinding hundreds of millions of dollars already set aside for public health programs.California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota filed suit Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it planned to cut about $600 million in funding to those Democrat-led states.The money had already been awarded and was meant to support disease prevention, data systems and hiring staff.State officials say the cuts are illegal and politically motivated. The lawsuit argues that the decision would cause lasting harm and is driven by opposition to programs that focus on specific groups, including communities of color and gay and bisexual men.“President Trump is resorting to a familiar playbook,” Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, said in a statement.“He is using federal funding to compel states and jurisdictions to follow his agenda,” Bonta added. “Those efforts have all previously failed, and we expect that to happen once again.”The states are asking a judge for a temporary restraining order to prevent the cuts from taking effect.An HHS spokesperson said the grants were ended “because they do not reflect agency priorities.”On the same day the lawsuit was filed, the administration also announced plans to cut another $183 million in unused public health funds.That round of cuts includes block grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that support HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention.Some of that funding goes to state and local health departments, including those in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.These grants “fund a core public health function that serves every single person in the state, city- or county-funded,” Elizabeth Finley, interim director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, told The New York Times.“Every person benefits from the surveillance work that tracks infections and helps people understand their risk,” she said. “Every person is equally served by the availability of information or outbreak prevention services.”The Trump administration recently changed CDC priorities, saying the agency would no longer focus on specific communities.The administration has argued that targeting certain groups "has not translated into measurable improved health for minority populations, and in many cases has undermined core American values."An administration official said the government may redirect some of the money to HIV and STI programs, but without focusing on specific groups of people.To be effective, public health officials must focus on the groups most affected, Jeremiah Johnson, executive director of the advocacy group Prep4All, said.This isn’t any different from how companies use targeted marketing, he said.More informationThe nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is tracking federal budget cuts that affect low-income Americans.SOURCE: The New York Times, Feb. 11, 2026.What This Means For YouPublic health funding helps track outbreaks, prevent disease and support local health services. Cuts like these could affect how quickly officials respond to health threats..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter