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April 2, 2025

Maine joins federal lawsuit in fight against cuts in health services

$100 bills File photo Federal funding for medical research and health services in Maine is being reduced by $91 million.
By Tina Fischer

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey yesterday signed onto a lawsuit brought forth by 21 other attorneys general, suing the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health for slashing $11 billion in federal funding.

The cuts impact medical and public health research at multiple universities and research institutions around the country. 

In Maine, nearly $91 million in funding is being frozen from six grant programs at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Behavioral Health, and is expected to have significant effects on a wide range of essential services and jobs.

Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes responded, “The termination of these grants will compromise Maine’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks, maintain vaccine availability, address health disparities, and support community-based health workforce efforts. Additionally, these cuts threaten critical planned investments in mental health and substance use disorder services.”

In a statement released Tuesday, Frey asserted, “The NIH funds critical public health research throughout the country and right here in Maine. While the drastic slashing of this funding is being branded as ‘overhead’ savings, it in fact threatens to cripple vital research into areas that touch the lives of many Mainers, including cancer treatment, infectious diseases, neuromuscular disorders, aging, and addiction.

“The loss of NIH funds will also impact Maine-based organizations that employ Mainers and attract new talent to our state. For these reasons, I have joined other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to block its unlawful attempt to cut NIH funding.”

The Maine CDC will be affected to the tune of $88 million. The additional $3 million of the funding cuts here will impact the state Office of Behavioral Health, affecting substance abuse prevention programs, particularly for youth, school-based counseling, and help for individuals experiencing psychosis. 
 
The attorney general’s office noted that in Maine, the University of Maine System, Jackson Laboratory, MaineHealth, University of New England, Bates College, Colby College, the Wabanaki Mental Health Association, are among the research institutions that have in the past received NIH funding. 
 
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. 

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