Attorney General Dan Rayfield has joined 19 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other Trump administration officials. The legal action aims to prevent the dismantling of HHS, which has seen significant changes since Secretary Kennedy took office.
According to the lawsuit, thousands of federal health workers have been dismissed, essential programs have been closed, and states are left to manage increasing health crises without federal assistance. The attorneys general seek a court order to stop further dismantling and restore critical program operations.
“You can’t just shut down public health programs and fire the experts who run them without consequences,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “That kind of chaos puts Oregonians at risk – whether it’s tracking disease outbreaks or making sure our communities have clean water. It crosses both legal lines and basic standards of decency.”
On March 27, Secretary Kennedy announced a major restructuring under the president’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative. This plan involves reducing HHS's 28 agencies to 15, with numerous offices being reorganized or split apart. The department's workforce is also being reduced from 85,000 to 65,000 employees.
The lawsuit claims these changes have disrupted the entire health system, including closing key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infectious disease laboratories responsible for monitoring diseases like measles nationwide.
Rayfield and his colleagues argue that these actions violate numerous federal statutes and regulations. They contend that the Trump administration lacks authority for such changes without congressional approval, thereby disregarding constitutional separation of powers and undermining laws designed to protect public health.
The coalition urges the court to halt mass firings, reverse what they deem an illegal reorganization, and restore vital health services relied upon by millions.
Previously on April 1, Rayfield joined a group of 23 attorneys general in another lawsuit against Secretary Kennedy over cuts in state health funding. A temporary restraining order was issued on April 4 by a federal judge reinstating this funding temporarily.
The current lawsuit includes participation from attorneys general representing Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, New York, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.