Attorney General Dan Rayfield, along with a coalition of attorneys general, has issued a joint statement ahead of a court hearing regarding the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) funding cuts for medical and public health research. The hearing is scheduled for 7 a.m. PST at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston.
The plaintiffs are seeking an extension of the temporary restraining order against the directive from the Trump administration. Attorney General Rayfield stated, "The Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding at thousands of research institutions across the country is not only unlawful; it undermines public health, our economy, and our competitiveness."
Rayfield emphasized that research funding supports critical components of biomedical research, including lab and faculty expenses, infrastructure, and utility costs. He noted that without this funding, lifesaving research would be compromised. Research funded by NIH has contributed to understanding medical conditions and developing treatments for diseases such as cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease, and PTSD.
"Attorneys general are not just fighting for the rule of law; we are fighting for our loved ones," Rayfield said. He urged the Court to continue blocking these funding cuts as they fight what he describes as a reckless abuse of power.
On February 10th, Rayfield filed a lawsuit with 22 other attorneys general against the Trump administration, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and NIH in Massachusetts' U.S. District Court. The Court issued a temporary restraining order less than six hours later against NIH's proposed funding cuts.
Joining Attorney General Dan Rayfield in this lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York North Carolina Rhode Island Vermont Washington and Wisconsin.