Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez released a statement following a federal judge’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts barred the NIH from proceeding with plans to cut funding for biomedical and public health research.
“The court’s swift action provides a temporary halt to the Trump administration’s attempts to cut critical, lifesaving medical research funding for public health institutions,” stated Attorney General Lopez. “I will continue to do everything within my legal authority to fight for the people of Hawaiʻi and enforce the rule of law.”
The TRO was issued shortly after Attorney General Lopez, along with 21 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The lawsuit claims that the administration violated laws protecting NIH grants from arbitrary cuts. The restraining order prevents any implementation or enforcement of these reductions in Plaintiff states until further notice from the Court.
A hearing on this matter is scheduled in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts on February 21 at 10 a.m.
