CHICAGO (WLS) — In a significant legal move, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has initiated a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from slashing public health funding in Illinois and three other states governed by Democrats.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the Trump administration intends to withdraw $600 million in public health funding from these states, raising concerns among local officials and healthcare advocates.
Illinois has a track record of taking legal action against the administration to thwart such funding reductions, which officials argue could severely impact essential health services.
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The proposed cuts are primarily aimed at health programs that cater to minority communities, with grants for combating HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases facing significant reductions. Notably, a major program in Chicago is among those at risk.
Should the administration’s plan proceed, Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago could lose $5.2 million in funding. This development follows reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to withdraw financial support for a hospital initiative focused on preventing HIV/AIDS among Black women.
The administration has confirmed the decision to cut approximately $600 million in public health funding to four Democratic-led states, including Illinois. Officials stated that “These grants are being terminated because they do not reflect agency priorities,” leaving many questioning the future of critical health programs.
The Illinois attorney general says the cuts are based on political differences and harms families.
“Black women in Illinois are 16 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than their white counterparts,” said John Peller, president and CEO of AIDS Foundation Chicago.
Peller said the cuts couldn’t come at a worse time.
“Today, there is about 800 people a year newly diagnosed with HIV in the city of Chicago. And those numbers are going in the wrong direction. It makes tremendous sense to be investing in HIV prevention programs if the concern is about saving money,” Peller said.
For now, Lurie is remaining mostly quiet, saying they are continuing to evaluate what these cuts mean.
“We conduct all of our research to improve the lives of children, adolescents and families,” a spokesperson said Tuesday.
This latest round of cuts comes just weeks after the Department of Health and Human Services moved to halt $10 billion in social services and child care funding to the same four states plus New York, alleging the money is being misused. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a lawsuit to block that effort.
“The president is really interfering with the constitutional right of Congress to have the power of the purse. There have been countless lawsuits,” Peller said.
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