PRESS RELEASE: AG Campbell Issues Joint Statement on Lawsuit to Preserve Funding for Medical and Public Health Innovation Research

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on Friday, February 21st, joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement ahead of a court hearing in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health. At Friday's hearing, the plaintiffs sought an extension of its Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Trump Administration’s cuts to funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country.

AG Campbell joined the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington in issuing the following statement:

“The Trump Administration’s attempt to cut research 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. These cuts would have a devastating impact on universities around the country, many of which are at the forefront of groundbreaking research efforts – while also training future generations of researchers and innovators. They would force many universities to redirect funds and ultimately reduce research activities. 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, AG Campbell co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the NIH in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at thousands of research institutions throughout the country. Less than six hours after the attorneys general filed their lawsuit, the Court issued a temporary restraining order against the NIH, barring it from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research.

AG Campbell’s lawsuit, which she co-led with the attorneys general of Illinois and Michigan, was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.