Wisconsin joined nearly 20 states in a lawsuit challenging the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration’s cuts and restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday.
The lawsuit, filed by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and 19 other state attorneys general, seeks to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts of billions of dollars in state health funding and thousands of federal health jobs.
Head Start, a program that provides early childhood services for low-income families, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are just a few of the programs impacted by the Trump administration’s cuts.
“These devastating decisions will jeopardize the health and safety of Wisconsinites and our communities, all so Republicans can help pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires,” Evers said in a statement.
On March 27, Kennedy announced plans to restructure the HHS, reorganizing the department’s 28 agencies into 15 and closing half of its 10 regional offices. He also called for a cut in the department’s workforce, trimming staff from 85,000 to 65,000 employees. Additionally, 10,000 HHS employees across the nation were fired on April 1, the same day Kaul and 23 attorneys general filed the lawsuit.
“This and other lawsuits we’ve joined are seeking to stem the harm. But it’s also critical for Congress to get off the sidelines and help stop HHS from continuing down this senseless course,” Kaul said in a statement.
The lawsuit argues changing HHS’ structure threatens the strength of the nation's health system, claiming these actions violate hundreds of federal statutes and regulations. Kaul and the coalition also said the Trump administration doesn’t have the authority to make these changes.
“This is just another attempt by the Trump Administration to try and undermine the constitutional checks and balances in our system that help ensure no one has the sole power to make decisions like this unchecked,” Evers said in a statement.
Following the lawsuit’s announcement, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration on April 4 that would temporarily reinstate the funding.
Zoey Elwood is copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She also covers state news.
Molly Sheehan is the Photo Editor and Sports Editor Emeritus for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered Wisconsin Badgers sports, written articles including player profiles and game previews, and covered match-ups as a photojournalist. Follow her on X @mollyrsheehan and Instagram @msheehanphotos.
