Attorney General Dan Rayfield, along with a coalition of 21 other attorneys general, has achieved a nationwide preliminary injunction in the case Massachusetts v. NIH. The court order halts the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from reducing billions in funding for medical and public health research at universities and research institutions nationwide.
"This is a big win for science and public health," said Rayfield. "The Trump administration’s cuts would have hurt research that’s vital to our future, and we’re glad the court stepped in to stop that. We will keep fighting to make sure that lifesaving and life-changing medical research and innovation aren’t held back by reckless decisions driven by politics."
The injunction secures funds necessary for biomedical research, covering lab costs, faculty expenses, infrastructure, and utilities. These resources are crucial for maintaining the United States' leadership in medical research.
On February 10, shortly after the lawsuit was filed against the Administration, a U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order against NIH's efforts to reduce critical research funding. The current order replaces this temporary measure and prevents further cuts as legal proceedings continue until a final decision is reached.
The NIH serves as the main federal source of medical research funding in the U.S., supporting breakthroughs such as cancer treatments and DNA sequencing. Numerous NIH-supported scientists have received Nobel Prizes for their contributions.
The coalition includes 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 Wisconsin.