THURSDAY, April 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- A group of 23 states and Washington, D.C., is suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over a sudden cut of $12 billion in public health funding.

The Trump administration’s plan to claw back about $11 billion in federal money previously allocated to the states for public health, mental health, and addiction services is unlawful, 23 states and the District of Columbia said in a new lawsuit Tuesday.

Democratic attorneys general and governors in 23 states and Washington, DC, have filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging that the department’s sudden rollback of $12 billion in public health funding was unlawful and harmful.