Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement ahead of a court hearing in the case Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health. The plaintiffs aim to extend a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Trump Administration's cuts to funds supporting medical and public health research at various institutions.
Ellison, along with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington issued a 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."
The coalition argues that these funds cover essential components like lab costs and infrastructure which are vital for ongoing biomedical research. Without them, crucial projects including clinical trials could be severely affected. They emphasize that such cuts would impact universities engaged in groundbreaking research while training future researchers.
"Attorneys general are not just fighting for the rule of law; we are fighting for our loved ones," the statement continued. The group expressed relief that their lawsuit prompted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing these cuts.
On February 10th, Attorney General Ellison joined a broader coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration's decision to cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at research institutions nationwide. This lawsuit was filed with support from several states' attorneys general including those from Massachusetts and Illinois.
Less than six hours after filing their lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services and NIH in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, the Court granted a temporary restraining order halting funding cuts intended by the NIH.
Joining Ellison were attorneys general from multiple states including Colorado and Maine as part of this collective legal action against what they describe as an overreach by federal authorities into established research funding protocols.