WA, 21 other states sue Trump administration for defunding medical, public health research
Attorney General Nick Brown announced Monday that Washington has joined another lawsuit challenging the administration of President Donald Trump.
This time around, Brown and 21 other attorneys general are pushing back against the Feb. 7 announcement that billions will be cut in funding for biomedical research. The lawsuit names the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and their acting heads, as defendants.
Trump’s administration is slashing billions in “indirect cost” reimbursements at research institutions, which help cover costs for labs, infrastructure and faculty. NIH has estimated that the cuts will amount to more than $4 billion in annual savings.
Brown’s office argues that institutions, including Washington state colleges and universities, rely on that money to help fund live-saving research and medicine into cures for cancer and other diseases and conditions. This could jeopardize public health in the state, according to a Monday news release.
The attorney general has classified Trump’s action as unlawful.
“President Trump is trying to do the same thing he tried during his first term and the Administration must know it is illegal,” Brown said in the release. “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.”
Gov. Bob Ferguson also weighed in on the lawsuit, filed Monday, Feb. 10, in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. He called Washington a leader in terms of scientific research.
“If the Trump Administration’s unlawful action is allowed to go forward, it would be disastrous for the important work happening at our research institutions,” Ferguson said in the news release. “I will work with our Attorney General and experts at our universities to ensure these dollars are protected from unlawful federal overreach.”
Others see it differently. The Trump-created Department of Government Efficiency, for instance, applauded the sweeping cuts on social media.
“Amazing job by @NIH team,” DOGE wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Saved > $4B annually in excessive grant administrative costs.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai cast the cuts as positive and necessary.
“Contrary to the hysteria, redirecting billions of allocated NIH spending away from administrative bloat means there will be more money and resources available for legitimate scientific research, not less,” he told McClatchy via email. “The Trump administration is committed to slashing the cottage industry built off of the waste, fraud, and abuse within our mammoth government while prioritizing the needs of everyday Americans.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM.
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