Washington joins lawsuit accusing RFK Jr. of ‘illegally gutting’ public health
May 5, 2025, 1:00 PM
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at an event. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has joined a lawsuit against U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—alleging that recent sweeping changes are “illegally gutting” the nation’s public health infrastructure.
Filed on Monday, the lawsuit accuses the administration of unlawfully firing thousands of federal health workers, shutting down critical programs, and abandoning states to manage growing health crises on their own. According to a press release, the coalition is seeking to halt what it calls a reckless and illegal dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“These actions are both illegal and a moral failing. More Americans will suffer from illness, injury, and death without these commonsense programs,” Brown said. “A robust public health system that serves communities with the most barriers to appropriate medical care is vital.”
WA joins lawsuit challenging RFK Jr. health cuts
The lawsuit highlights what plaintiffs call “troubling consequences of the administration’s actions,” including the sudden termination of black lung disease surveillance, increased risks for coal miners, the closure of the nation’s only N95 mask certification lab, and the shutdown of key CDC infectious disease labs.
Brown states that mental health and addiction services have been impacted, with half of the workforce at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) laid off and all regional SAMHSA offices closed. Maternal and infant health is at risk after the firing of the entire CDC maternal health team.
The World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical care to more than 137,000 9/11 first responders and survivors, has also lost the doctors needed to certify new cancer diagnoses, leaving many without access to critical care.
This lawsuit comes after a separate legal action in April, where Attorney General Brown and 22 other attorneys general sued the administration over the sudden and illegal reduction of billions in state health funding.
Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest
