Public Health Funding Restored: Municipalities and Union Win Injunction Against U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Strategic Insights -

A coalition of major municipalities across the nation, including Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri, and public service workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have been granted an injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from canceling grants essential for public health work.

The injunction, granted in the case of Harris County et al. v. Kennedy, will stop the unlawful HHS funding termination, requiring the Department to issue the grants while the case proceeds. The court declined to issue a nationwide injunction but left open the possibility of extending needed relief later in the case to public health employees across the country.

Key Takeaways:

  • The municipalities and AFSCME were granted an injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from canceling grants essential for public health work.
  • The HHS had planned to cancel grants worth more than $11 billion, which provided funding for public health work, including infectious disease monitoring, immunization access, and emergency preparedness.
  • The grant cancellation was announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on March 24, 2025, citing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
  • The injunction was granted in the case of Harris County et al. v. Kennedy, filed in April in District Court for the District of Columbia.
  • The affected municipalities and public health departments will continue to receive funding for essential public health services, including tracking disease outbreaks, providing vaccinations, and supporting vulnerable families.
  • AFSCME President Lee Saunders stated that the fight is not over, and the union will continue to push for public health funding.

Statistics:

  • Up to $11 billion in federal grants were at risk of being canceled to support public health work.
  • The grants provided funding for infectious disease monitoring, immunization access, and emergency preparedness.
  • The affected municipalities include Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri.
  • The number of public health employees affected by the grant cancellation was not specified.
  • The measles outbreak in Texas has spread to Ohio, Tennessee, and other states across the country.

Sources:

  • The entire text of the complaint can be found [here](http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/).
  • The full ruling can be found [here](http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/).