19 state attorneys general sue Trump Administration over HHS cuts

19 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Monday over layoffs and dismantling within agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The lawsuit, led by the Democratic attorney general of New York, Laetitia James, alleges that the Administration violated hundreds of laws and circumvented congressional authority by having HHS agencies downsized from 28 to 15, initiating layoffs of about 20,000 employees, according to information picked up NBC News.

James stated that the states' lawsuit in Rhode Island district court takes aim at "reckless, irrational and dangerous" efforts by R. F. Kennedy Jr. that erase decades of public health progress and leave the federal government "unable to execute many of its most vital functions."

"This administration is not streamlining the federal government; it is sabotaging it," James said in a statement. "When you fire scientists who research infectious diseases, silence doctors who care for pregnant people, and shut down programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy - you are putting countless lives at risk."

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the major restructuring plan within HHS in March, claiming it would save taxpayers $1.8 billion a year.

During the reform announcement, Kennedy Jr. stated, "We are realigning the organization with its principal mission and our new priorities to reverse the chronic disease epidemic."

The HHS cuts are part of the streamlining undertaken by the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk.

Last week, the Trump Administration released a proposed 2026 budget with a 26% cut to the HHS discretionary budget.