NC’s Jeff Jackson sues Trump administration over health cuts, saying state faces $230M loss
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing the Trump administration again, joining a multi-state lawsuit challenging the federal government’s decision to cut more than $11 billion in health care funding nationwide — a move that will impact North Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the cuts last week, eliminating funding that states use for infectious disease tracking — including recent measles outbreaks — mental health services, addiction treatment and more.
For the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the cuts would mean more than 80 job losses and at least $100 million in lost funding, the agency said, as previously reported by The News & Observer.
But Jackson argues the impact is even greater, saying in a news release from his office that the state stands to lose more than $230 million in health care funding.
“My job is to be a shield for the people of North Carolina — and that includes protecting their health care. The federal government can’t just cancel nearly a quarter billion dollars that have already been congressionally allocated to our state. It’s unlawful — and dangerous,” said Jackson in a statement announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday.
“That money supports rural hospitals, health care workers, emergency services and public health programs that protect seniors and families across North Carolina. There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasn’t one of them. Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isn’t just wrong — it puts lives at risk. That’s why we’re going to court,” he said.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for DHHS, defended the cuts in a statement to the New York Times and other news outlets, saying that, “The Covid-19 pandemic is over, and H.H.S. will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a nonexistent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.”
Jackson is part of a coalition of Democratic attorneys general and governors from 23 states and Washington, D.C., who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Rhode Island against HHS and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The lawsuit argues that the federal government cannot justify cutting the funding on the grounds that it was originally issued to address the pandemic.
“Defendants have never alleged, much less demonstrated, any failure by fund recipients to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of the grants and agreements. Nor did Congress limit the funding at issue here to the period of the COVID-19 emergency,” the lawsuit states.
Beyond this legal argument, the attorneys general say the cuts will weaken public health efforts, put states at greater risk for future pandemics and contribute to the spread of preventable diseases by eliminating critical health services. The lawsuit asks the court to immediately block the Trump administration from rescinding the funds.
North Carolina impact
According to Jackson’s office, the funding cuts would impact a wide range of health services across North Carolina: Local health programs in 77 of the state’s 86 health departments — especially in rural areas — would lose funding, along with community health workers aiding Hurricane Helene survivors.
The cuts would also affect county nurses investigating disease outbreaks, infection control data collection critical to public health and agriculture, and EMS programs in six counties, the news release says.
Additionally, the release says it would hinder responses to outbreaks in nursing homes, flu prevention efforts, addiction treatment — particularly in rural areas — and behavioral health services. Collegiate substance misuse recovery programs at 14 North Carolina universities would also lose support.
This is at least Jackson’s fifth lawsuit against the Trump administration. In response to his actions, GOP lawmakers filed a bill that would block Jackson from challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders. That bill passed the Senate on March 11 but has not so far received a committee hearing in the House.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 1:36 PM with the headline "NC’s Jeff Jackson sues Trump administration over health cuts, saying state faces $230M loss."
