Latest news with #DuBose
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal judge finds HHS mass layoffs likely unlawful
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the mass layoffs carried out at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) likely went against the law and there is sufficient evidence to support claims of irreparable harm as a result. U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose, an appointee of former President Biden who was confirmed to the bench earlier this year, granted a request by plaintiffs in the suit to block the far-reaching terminations at HHS as well as the planned restructuring of the agency. The suit was filed by the Democratic attorneys general of 19 states and D.C. They alleged in their suit that the Trump administration had overstepped congressional authority and gone against the doctrine of separation of powers. The HHS laid off roughly 10,000 staffers as part of its restructuring plan in April. According to public health experts and former staffers, the drastic reduction in staffing threatens the U.S.'s status as a leading health authority. In its counterargument, the HHS has argued that the attorneys general lack standing to sue the federal government over this action. To establish standing, the states must prove harm as a result of the HHS's actions. DuBose wrote she was 'persuaded' to believe tangible harm had resulted from the drastic changes at the HHS, noting the example of disruptions occurring at the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NWCOHS) due to grants not being processed. 'This unprocessed grant extension has already led to disruptions at NWCOHS, including cancelled grant renewal meetings, inability 'to provide funded offers of admission for trainees,' and a decrease in the number of occupational medicine residents admitted for 2025-2026,' Dubose wrote. Based on the evidence presented by the attorneys general, DuBose found they were likely to succeed on the merits of the case. She declined to address the constitutionality claims in the case. The federal government requested that the injunction be paused pending an appeal. Another federal judge in May had already ordered the Trump administration to pause its mass layoffs, including those at the HHS, and as such DuBose preemptively denied the request. 'The Executive Branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote. 'We stand by our original decision to realign this organization with its core mission and refocus a sprawling bureaucracy that, over time, had become wasteful, inefficient, and resistant to change,' an HHS spokesperson told The Hill. 'The reorganization was designed to restore the department around bold, measurable public health goals—like reversing the chronic disease epidemic and advancing U.S. leadership in biomedical research.' 'While we strongly disagree with the decision by a Biden-appointed district court judge, HHS remains committed to modernizing a health workforce that for too long prioritized institutional preservation over meaningful public health impact. We are reviewing the decision and considering next steps,' they added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Japan Today
01-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, U.S. judge says
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies during a House Energy and Commerce Committee, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) A federal judge ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation's health workforce. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown 'irreparable harm,' from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that 'HHS's action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.' 'The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court in Providence. Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11. An HHS spokesperson said the administration is reviewing the decision and considering next steps. "We stand by our original decision to realign this organization with its core mission and refocus a sprawling bureaucracy that, over time, had become wasteful, inefficient and resistant to change," Andrew Nixon said in an emailed statement. The ruling applies to employees in four different parts of HHS: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Center for Tobacco Products within the Food and Drug Administration; the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families and employees of regional offices who work on Head Start matters; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to 15. Since then, agencies including the CDC have rescinded layoffs affecting hundreds of employees, including those monitoring HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. The attorneys general argued that the massive restructuring was arbitrary and outside of the scope of the agency's authority. The lawsuit also says the action decimated essential programs and pushed burdensome costs onto states. DuBose wrote that states have lost access to 'funds, guidance, research, screenings, compliance oversight, data, and, importantly, the expertise and guidance on which they have long relied.' The cuts are part of a federal 'Make America Healthy Again' directive to streamline costly agencies and reduce redundancies. Kennedy told senators at a May 14 hearing that there is 'so much chaos and disorganization" at HHS. But the restructuring had eliminated key teams that regulate food safety and drugs, as well as support a wide range of programs for tobacco, HIV prevention and maternal and infant health. Kennedy has since said that because of mistakes, 20% of people fired might be reinstated. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Hill
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Federal judge finds HHS mass layoffs likely unlawful
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the mass layoffs carried out at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) likely went against the law and there is sufficient evidence to support claims of irreparable harm as a result. U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose, a Biden appointee confirmed to the bench earlier this year, granted a request by plaintiffs in the suit to block the far-reaching terminations at HHS as well as the planned restructuring of the agency. The suit was filed by the Democratic attorneys general of 19 states and D.C. They alleged in their suit that the Trump administration had overstepped congressional authority and gone against the doctrine of separation of powers. HHS laid off roughly 10,000 staffers as part of its restructuring plan in April. According to public health experts and former staffers, the drastic reduction in staffing threatens the U.S.'s status as a leading health authority. In its counterargument, HHS has argued that the attorneys general lack standing to sue the federal government over this action. To establish standing, the states must prove harm as a result of HHS's actions. DuBose wrote she was 'persuaded' to believe tangible harm had resulted from the drastic changes at HHS, noting the example of disruptions occurring at the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety due to grants not being processed. 'This unprocessed grant extension has already led to disruptions at NWCOHS, including cancelled grant renewal meetings, inability 'to provide funded offers of admission for trainees,' and a decrease in the number of occupational medicine residents admitted for 2025-2026,' wrote Dubose. Based on the evidence presented by the attorneys general, DuBose found that they were likely to succeed on the merits of the case. She declined to address the constitutionality claims in the case. The federal government requested that the injunction be paused pending an appeal. Another federal judge in May had already ordered the Trump administration to pause its mass layoffs, including those at HHS, and as such DuBose preemptively denied the request. 'The Executive Branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote. 'We stand by our original decision to realign this organization with its core mission and refocus a sprawling bureaucracy that, over time, had become wasteful, inefficient, and resistant to change,' an HHS spokesperson told The Hill. 'The reorganization was designed to restore the department around bold, measurable public health goals—like reversing the chronic disease epidemic and advancing U.S. leadership in biomedical research.' 'While we strongly disagree with the decision by a Biden-appointed district court judge, HHS remains committed to modernizing a health workforce that for too long prioritized institutional preservation over meaningful public health impact. We are reviewing the decision and considering next steps,' they added.
NBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, U.S. judge says
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation's health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown 'irreparable harm,' from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that 'HHS's action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.' 'The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court in Providence. Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11. The ruling applies to terminated employees in four different divisions of HHS: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Center for Tobacco Products within the Food and Drug Administration; the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families and employees of regional offices who work on Head Start matters; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to 15. Since then, agencies including the CDC have repeatedly rescinded layoffs affecting hundreds of employees, including in branches that monitor HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. The attorneys general argued that the massive restructuring was arbitrary and outside of the scope of the agency's authority. The lawsuit also says the action decimated essential programs and pushed burdensome costs onto states. 'The intended effect … was the wholesale elimination of many HHS programs that are critical to public health and safety,' the lawsuit argued. The cuts are part of a federal 'Make America Healthy Again' directive to streamline costly agencies and reduce redundancies. Kennedy told senators at a May 14 hearing that there is 'so much chaos and disorganization' at HHS. But the restructuring had eliminated key teams that regulate food safety and drugs, as well as support a wide range of programs for tobacco, HIV prevention and maternal and infant health. Kennedy has since said that because of mistakes, 20% of people fired might be reinstated. The states who joined the lawsuit have Democratic governors, and many of the same states — plus a few others — also sued the Trump administration over $11 billion in cuts to public health funding. A preliminary injunction was granted in that case in mid-May.
01-07-2025
- Health
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation's health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown 'irreparable harm,' from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that 'HHS's action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.' 'The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court in Providence. Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11. The ruling applies to terminated employees in four different divisions of HHS: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Center for Tobacco Products within the Food and Drug Administration; the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families and employees of regional offices who work on Head Start matters; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to 15. Since then, agencies including the CDC have repeatedly rescinded layoffs affecting hundreds of employees, including in branches that monitor HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. The attorneys general argued that the massive restructuring was arbitrary and outside of the scope of the agency's authority. The lawsuit also says the action decimated essential programs and pushed burdensome costs onto states. 'The intended effect … was the wholesale elimination of many HHS programs that are critical to public health and safety,' the lawsuit argued. The cuts are part of a federal 'Make America Healthy Again' directive to streamline costly agencies and reduce redundancies. Kennedy told senators at a May 14 hearing that there is 'so much chaos and disorganization" at HHS. But the restructuring had eliminated key teams that regulate food safety and drugs, as well as support a wide range of programs for tobacco, HIV prevention and maternal and infant health. Kennedy has since said that because of mistakes, 20% of people fired might be reinstated. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
