Federal Judge Blocks HHS Reorganization
A federal judge in Rhode Island has halted a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), siding with 19 Democratic state attorneys general who argued the changes were unconstitutional and illegal. The preliminary injunction blocks actions that began April 1, including the termination of 10,000 employees, office consolidations, and program eliminations. The plaintiffs cited halted CDC disease prevention efforts, disabled pregnancy data collection, and the FDA's suspended youth tobacco compliance checks as examples of public harm. Judge Melissa Dubose ruled that the Executive Branch lacks authority to unilaterally restructure agencies created by Congress. The lawsuit also names top HHS officials, including Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and contends that states have lost access to critical data, guidance, and funding. The administration must submit a status report by July 11. Read more
here.