Per the notice below, the New York State Attorney General (NYSAG) has issued a statement on the ongoing litigation to stop federal funding cuts to health care research.

Attorney General James Issues Joint Statement on Lawsuit to Preserve Funding for Medical and Public Health Research Ahead of Hearing

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement ahead of a court hearing in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health.  At today’s hearing, the attorneys general will seek an extension of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Trump administration’s unlawful cuts to funds that support life-saving medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country, such as research institutes at CUNY and SUNY, including Stony Brook University, University at Buffalo, University at Albany, and others.  The coalition today released the following statement:

“The Trump administration’s attempt to cut research funding at thousands of research institutions across the country is not only unlawful; it undermines public health, our economy, and our competitiveness.  There are laws in place that protect this funding, and the President cannot simply toss those laws aside.

“This research funding covers expenses that facilitate critical components of biomedical research, such as lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs.  Without it, lifesaving and life-extending research, including clinical trials, could be significantly compromised.  These cuts would have a devastating impact on universities around the country, many of which are at the forefront of groundbreaking research efforts – while also training future generations of researchers and innovators.  They would force many universities to redirect funds and ultimately reduce research activities.  Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has found new treatments for adult and childhood cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, PTSD, and more.

“Attorneys general are not just fighting for the rule of law; we are fighting for our loved ones, our friends, and our neighbors, and we will not allow President Trump to play politics with our public health.  We are heartened that less than six hours after filing our lawsuit, the court recognized the devastating impacts of this directive and granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing the administration from implementing these unlawful cuts.  Today, we urge the court to continue to block these funding cuts as we keep fighting this reckless abuse of power.”

On February 10, Attorney General James joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country.  Less than six hours after the attorneys general filed their lawsuit, the court issued a TRO against NIH, barring it from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research.

Joining Attorney General James in making today’s statement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.