HONOLULU - Attorney General Anne Lopez and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general have secured a nationwide preliminary injunction in Massachusetts v. NIH. The order prevents the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from cutting billions of dollars in funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country regardless of whether their states have joined the lawsuit.

“As the court confirmed, the Trump administration’s attempt to cut lifesaving, essential scientific and medical research funding for public health institutions was as illegal as it was arbitrary,” said Attorney General Lopez. “Once again, the courts are sending a clear message that President Trump’s efforts to paralyze the government through arbitrary funding cuts are illegal. The people of Hawai?i rightfully expect that the federal administration will act lawfully, and my department will work to protect the interests of this state.”

“We sincerely appreciate the Attorney General’s efforts to obtain this injunction,” said University of Hawai?i Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis Syrmos. “NIH’s proposed drastic reduction of our facilities and administrative rate would result in the elimination of approximately $16.5M in funding that the University of Hawai?i uses to support its research programs and graduate students, including debt service payments for facilities that support translational research and clinical trials. As our state’s only medical school, JABSOM is required to do research that benefits our population. The level and quality of research cannot be sustained with the proposed cuts. The negative impact on communities in Hawai?i and elsewhere that already experience the highest rates of chronic disease, more severe health conditions, and shortened life expectancies, will be severe.”

The state of Hawai?i is represented in this litigation by Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day and Solicitor General Kaliko?on?lani Fernandes, who added: “We are very pleased with this decision. The relief obtained in this case for the University of Hawai?i underscores the importance of standing up for the rule of law and the interests of Hawai?i against unlawful federal actions.”

The preliminary injunction protects critical funds that facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without them, the lifesaving and life-changing medical research in which the United States has long been a leader, could be compromised.

On February 10, less than six hours after the coalition filed its lawsuit against the Administration, a judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order against NIH, barring its attempts to cut the critical research funding. Today’s order takes the place of the temporary restraining order and prevents the Trump Administration from cutting this important category of funding as the case proceeds. It will remain in effect until a final ruling is made.

The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. Medical research funding by NIH grants have led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs, including the discovery of treatment for cancers of all types and the first sequencing of DNA. Additionally, dozens of NIH-supported scientists have earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking scientific work.

Joining Hawai?i in this coalition are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. This lawsuit is being co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan.