Washington joins lawsuit against Trump admin over NIH funding cuts, judge temporarily blocks the order

Seattle, Washington – Joining a group of 22 attorneys general in a lawsuit aiming at protecting essential medical and public health innovation, the State of Washington has taken a strong position against the Trump Administration’s intention to cut federal research funding. Filed in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, the case questions the government’s sudden reductions to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds supporting innovative biomedical research nationwide.

Representing Washington in the lawsuit, Attorney General Nick Brown referred to the Trump Administration’s action as an “illegal and reckless attack” on scientific progress.

“Within only a few hours of the lawsuit filed by our coalition of more than 20 attorneys general, a federal judge paused the President’s illegal cuts to NIH,” Attorney General Nick Brown said according to a news release. “The judge’s order preserves funding for the lifesaving and life-changing medical research happening in Washington state, and the jobs of the employees doing this vital work.”

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A devastating blow to research institutions

With its February 7th announcement, the Trump Administration aimed to cap “indirect cost” payments for research facilities at 15%. These subsidies cover basic costs including infrastructure upgrades, faculty salaries, lab maintenance, and utilities—expenses that let universities carry out innovative public health and medical research.

Universities and research facilities throughout the country would struggle to keep important initiatives afloat without these funds; many of them center on life-saving therapies for diseases including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Washington, a recognized leader in biomedical innovation, is home to several of the most esteemed research centers in the nation, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington, both of which mostly rely on NIH grants.

Calling the government’s actions “a direct threat to the future of public health and scientific innovation,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson highlighted is concerned about the negative impact of these cuts. He reassured everyone that the state government would cooperate with scientific and legal professionals to protect federal money and stop more administrative intervention.

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A legal battle for scientific integrity

The alliance of attorneys general contends that the Trump Administration’s unilateral funding cut is against the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit claims that the government disregarded past legislation instructions that forbade categorical reductions to indirect cost reimbursements and neglected the substantial damage these cuts would cause to research facilities.

“President Trump is trying to do the same thing he tried during his first term and the Administration must know it is illegal,” said Brown. “NIH provides lifesaving medical, agricultural, and public health research the people of Washington depend on. This attempt to curtail scientific research could have long-lasting impacts for generations to come.”

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order in response to the lawsuit, therefore stopping the application of the financial cuts while court cases are under progress. At least for the time being, this decision has been praised as a major victory for colleges and research labs.

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The stakes for public health and medical research

The complaint emphasizes the broad effects of cuts in NIH financing. Many of the studies under influence focus on time-sensitive medicinal innovations. For example, if funding is cut, clinical studies meant to create new treatments for pediatric cancer, kidney failure, and neurological diseases could be postponed or stopped entirely. Furthermore, important public health campaigns—including attempts to track and fight newly developing health hazards like avian influenza—could suffer without enough funding.

Research institutions in Washington play a key role in global health initiatives. Working with NIH-funded researchers, groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) create medical solutions with global influence. A financial gap would jeopardize America’s capacity to handle world health emergencies in addition to hurting domestic research.

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A broad coalition stands against the cuts

Legal representatives from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin complete the legal action, which is co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan.

This wide coalition emphasizes the national importance of the problem. The coalition claims that scientific advancement is about saving lives, enhancing health outcomes, and pushing medical innovation; it is not a political issue with regard to parties. They say the activities of the Trump Administration threaten all of that.

Research facilities in Washington and around the nation are in a state of anxiety as the legal fight goes on, waiting to learn whether their lifelines to federal financing will stay whole. The lawsuit is a key test of the extent states may go to oppose federal policies endangering the integrity of scientific research.

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For now, the temporary restraining order guarantees the money stays in place, providing some relief to researchers and medical experts depending on NIH grants to carry on their work. The fight to safeguard medical and public health research is far from finished, though, given the Trump Administration’s record of contesting court rulings.