A preliminary injunction was granted July 1 by a federal judge that halts the Trump administration’s plan to downsize and reorganize HHS.
In late March, HHS shared plans to lay off 10,000 full-time employees to save $1.8 billion annually for taxpayers in a “dramatic restructuring.” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged in late April that mistakes had been made amid the layoffs, and suggested that around 20% of the affected employees could be reinstated.
A lawsuit was then filed in early May on behalf of 19 states and the District of Columbia to block the layoffs, citing them as an “unconstitutional and illegal dismantling of the department.”
U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose’s decision prevents the administration from enforcing reductions in the CDC, Center for Tobacco Products, the office of Head Start and Head Start employees in regional offices, and the office of the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation, as case litigation moves forward.
“The work of HHS is absolutely critical to the safety and health of millions of Americans,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a July 1 news release. “We are pleased the court temporarily halted the Trump administration’s unlawful dismantling of the agency so that HHS can continue its important work.”
In Ms. DuBose’s 58-page ruling, the court found that the administration likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded its legal authority by incapacitating a Congressionally created department. She also noted that the states suffered “irreparable harm” from the cuts.
HHS is required to provide a status report by July 11 with its compliance to the order, along with copies of all directives issued in response to the order.
“We stand by our original decision to realign this organization with its core mission and refocus a sprawling bureaucracy that, over time, had become wasteful, inefficient and resistant to change,” Andrew Nixon, HHS communications director, said in a July 2 statement shared with Becker’s. “The reorganization was designed to restore the department around bold, measurable public health goals — like reversing the chronic disease epidemic and advancing U.S. leadership in biomedical research. While we strongly disagree with the decision by a Biden-appointed district court judge, HHS remains committed to modernizing a health workforce that for too long prioritized institutional preservation over meaningful public health impact.”
Mr. Nixon said that HHS is reviewing the decision and looking toward next steps.
Editor’s note: This story was updated July 2 at 8:23 a.m. CT.
