U.S. Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks throughout a press convention on the College of Utah in Salt Lake Metropolis on April 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Jim Urquhart
New York’s whole Democratic Congressional delegation has signed a letter requesting a gathering with Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing “unprecedented attacks” on the state’s well being funding.
The hassle, led by U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler, is available in response to the Trump Administration’s transfer to chop greater than $11 billion in funding for state and native well being departments. All 19 New York Home Democrats signed the letter, together with Queens-based Reps. Nydia Velázquez, Grace Meng, Gregory Meeks, and Ocasio-Cortez.
A federal choose briefly blocked the funding cuts on April 3 after 23 states and the District of Colombia filed a lawsuit towards the measure. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Decide Mary S. McElroy in Rhode Island, prevents the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers and its businesses from implementing the cuts whereas the litigation is ongoing.
The coalition of states has argued that the funding helps handle “urgent” public well being wants, offering entry to vaccines and psychological well being and dependancy companies, permitting states to trace ailments, and bettering well being infrastructures.
The Trump Administration, then again, mentioned the easing of public well being threats created by the COVID-19 pandemic justified the transfer to chop funding. The general public well being grants had been initially allotted to states through the pandemic, however the Trump Administration knowledgeable states that the grants had been “no longer necessary.”
New York Home Democrats have requested a gathering with Kennedy over the proposed cuts, stating that New York State well being departments will lose roughly $400 million in funding, whereas the New York Metropolis Division of Well being and Psychological Hygiene is ready to overlook out on about $100 million.
“As a result of these actions, the New York State Department of Health has laid off more than 200 public health workers, including 50 full-time staff and 168 public health fellows… Every single one of our constituents will be impacted by these actions,” Democrats mentioned within the letter to Kennedy.
New York Home Democrats additionally wrote that the proposed funding cuts would threaten at the least 200 community-based organizations that present psychological well being, maternal well being or different life-saving companies.
“Rescinding congressionally mandated funding is illegal and has already been blocked by a federal judge. However, the administration is attempting to move forward with these cuts, regardless of the risks it creates for the health and safety of all Americans,” New York Democrats wrote, requesting a gathering with Kennedy and his employees no later than April 22.
New York State Lawyer Common Letitia James at a conference in New York Metropolis on April 4, 2025.REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
New York Lawyer-Common Letitia James, who represented New York within the 23-state coalition, additionally described the proposed cuts as unlawful in a submit on X, previously Twitter.
James posted on the social media platform after Decide McElroy briefly blocked the funding cuts on April 3.
“We just got a court order to temporarily block Trump’s illegal cuts to billions in vital state health funding,” James mentioned in a submit on X on April 3. “We’re going to continue our lawsuit and fight to ensure states can provide the medical services Americans need.”
Attorneys-Common representing the 23 states filed a grievance on April 1, alleging that funding was “abruptly and arbitrarily terminated” by the Trump Administration on March 24.
