Arizona joins lawsuit to stop Trump research funding cuts that could cost state millions
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration to protect medical and public health research funding.
Kendra Dahmer, a postdoctoral researcher studying infectious disease, works in a laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)
(AP Photo/Terry Chea)
PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined yet another multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, this time to protect medical and public health research funding.
In the latest case, Mayes and 21 other Democratic attorneys general are suing to prevent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from slashing certain payments to universities and other research institutions across the nation.
“Arizona students and universities will miss out on millions of dollars in critical funding and research support if the Trump administration is not blocked from defunding NIH and its grants to our state,” Mayes said in a press release.
The attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois and Michigan are co-leading the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.
A federal judge granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order in the case soon after it was filed.
How does Trump administration want to cut research funding?
The suit argues that a new NIH policy to set a standard indirect cost rate at 15% across the board is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates the Administrative Procedure Act “in multiple ways.”
Indirect costs include things like facilities and administration expenses. The existing rates were negotiated between the research institutions and the federal government through a regulated process, with the percentage based on each institution’s particular needs.
The NIH, the primary source of federal medical research funding, issued the policy change on Friday, saying the new rate plan would go into effect Monday for all existing and future grants.
Arizona universities and hospitals, including Banner and Mayo Clinic, would lose over $20 million under the rate change, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
“This money is owed to Arizonans by law,” Mayes said. “Beyond the students and institutions negatively impacted now, this will have disastrous and exponential consequences for innovation and progress, curbing our ability to combat disease and protect Americans for generations to come.”
What other lawsuits against the Trump administration involve Arizona?
Arizona is now involved in four lawsuits filed against the federal government since President Donald Trump returned to the White House three weeks ago.
Mayes previously joined multistate legal efforts against the administration’s attempts to end birthright citizenship and institute a sweeping freeze of federal funding.
In addition, Arizona is part of a lawsuit to prevent Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems.
Related
Attorneys general in 19 states, including Arizona, granted temporary restraining order over DOGE personal data access
Arizona attorney general launches webpage to monitor federal funding issues
Judge in Arizona's multistate lawsuit temporarily blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order
Arizona sues Trump administration over move to pause federal grants and loans
Andy Biggs explains why he picked Sine Kerr as his running mate in bid for governor’s seat
Andy Biggs picks Sine Kerr as running mate in 1st Arizona election with lieutenant governor
Comments
51 Comments
President Trump has done more going into his 3rd week then biden did in 50 years of being in government.
The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters," the conservative think tank wrote in its report published Feb. 4.
"Billions more of federal dollars have been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government."
The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism.
They have, but Trump is going to try to barrel ahead anyway because laws don't matter and the Constitution means nothing. Meanwhile, the GOP Congress is giving away their clearly-enumerated Article I power of the purse to Trump, even though the Constitution says nope.
Your chuck Schumer set up a tip line for you anti Trumpers anti Elon here's a link check it out
https://x.com/SenSchumer/st...
It backfired beautifully as do all things democrat