Nineteen attorneys general have filed lawsuits in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to restructure the HHS Department, USA Today reported May 5.
Six notes:
1. In March, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to restructure the HHS Department by consolidating various divisions and eliminating 20,000 full-time employees.
2. The layoffs resulted in the shutdown of the CDC’s oral health division.
3. A leaked draft of the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal also showed additional cuts to oral health-related programs, including the National Institutes of Health and various workforce programs.
4. The states are arguing in their lawsuit that the changes hinder the federal government’s ability to address critical public health issues and execute vital functions.
5. More than 530 other organizations recently sent a letter urging Congress members to oppose cuts to the HHS Department, stating the cuts would “put our nation’s health and security at risk.”
6. Mr. Kennedy is expected to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee May 14 to discuss the restructuring efforts.
