Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel won a victory yesterday in her fight against some of Trump’s cuts to medical research funding.
On Wednesday, March 5, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Trump administration from cutting funding for cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country.
The preliminary injunction provides specific relief sought by a coalition of 23 attorneys general, led by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who are challenging the Trump administration’s unilateral attempt to reduce “indirect cost” reimbursements at all research institutions across the country.
Most National Institutes of Health-funded research takes place outside of federal government institutions, such as public and private universities and colleges. In Michigan, this included over $200 million in potential funding cuts for research projects at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University.
“I am incredibly proud of our efforts to protect lifesaving research happening right here in Michigan,” Nessel said in the press release.
“Our colleges and universities are at the forefront of groundbreaking advances, leading the way in new prostate cancer treatments, researching the effects of epilepsy medication on children, and improving PTSD outcomes for our veterans. This preliminary injunction ensures that their essential work can continue uninterrupted.
Nessel stated that had these cuts been implemented, the consequences would have been disastrous, resulting in layoffs, the suspension of critical research programs, and the loss of medical breakthroughs that could have saved countless lives.
She stated that with tens of thousands of NIH-supported trials currently underway in Michigan, they could not and will not allow Donald Trump to unilaterally derail this critical work, and that the injunction is an important step in the ongoing fight to protect federal funding, uphold the rule of law, and ensure Michigan’s continued leadership in life-changing medical discoveries.
The Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan attorneys general are co-leading this lawsuit. This coalition includes the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
