‘It’s important to stand up’: Kansas City joins national lawsuit against U.S. Health Department

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - April 25, Kansas City joined a multi-state federal lawsuit challenging Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for terminating public health programs funded by Congress.

The lawsuit seeks the renewal of federal grant programs supporting vaccinations, disease tracking, and public health staffing.

Though funded through pandemic-related legislation, Congress never tied these programs to the public health emergency declaration and explicitly preserved them in 2023.

“At a time when measles threatens our young people and Kansas Citians in need of lifesaving cures, to see federal research funding slashed, I believe it’s important cities and people stand up for common sense and public health in the courts,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “I’m proud to join other mayors and cities to save lives in Kansas City and around our country while the federal government plays politics.”

Due to cuts, the Kansas City Public Health Department is holding off on plans for an infectious disease testing laboratory despite having already invested in staff training and certification. Community health worker programs in underserved neighborhoods also face closure.

HHS terminated these grant programs in March, citing the end of the federal public health emergency, despite Congress never placing that condition on the funds, accroding to the city. A separate lawsuit by 17 states temporarily blocked the cuts, but only for those states, leaving Kansas City residents vulnerable.

“This funding was never meant to be temporary—it was a critical investment in our country’s ability to respond to current and future health threats,” said Dr. Marvia Jones, Director of the Kansas City Health Department. “Cutting these programs now is not just shortsighted, it’s dangerous. Kansas City is standing up because our residents deserve consistent, reliable public health protections—not uncertainty driven by bureaucratic decisions that ignore Congressional intent.”

The case, Harris County et. al v. HHS et. al., was filed in the District Court for the District of Columbia.

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