Joining forces in a legal standoff against what they're calling an illicit move by the Trump administration, Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 22 attorneys general filed a lawsuit aimed at protecting vital funding for medical research; their target is an abrupt policy shift they say could weaken America’s standing in global health innovation and damage public health. Through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Trump administration has proposed a drastic reduction in indirect cost reimbursements—funds that cover critical operational costs for research facilities across the nation—putting at risk the advancement of essential medical breakthroughs.
The coalition, co-led by Raoul, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, is seeking immediate intervention from the court to halt NIH's policy change which handsets indirect costs at a flat 15% rate, disregarding institutional necessities and pre-negotiated agreements, according to a statement obtained by the Illinois Attorney General's office; this unilateral move, announced Feb. 7 and intended for immediate effect the following business day, leaves universities scrambling to fill massive budget gaps with no preparation time. Critics argue that slashing these rates could lead to suspended clinical trials, research disruptions, job losses, and shuttered laboratories. At the same time, Illinois institutions stand to lose upwards of $71.5 million annually—$67 million for the University of Illinois System, and $4.5 million to the Southern Illinois University System.
Such funding cuts undermine the core of groundbreaking medical studies on diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes—the stakes of which extend far beyond academic circles, touching the lives of countless individuals banking on scientific progress for better health outcomes. It is the assertion of Raoul and fellow attorneys general that this policy violates federal law, specifically pointing to legislation passed during President Trump’s first term that aimed to block such sweeping cuts to indirect cost reimbursements.
Educational institutions backed by NIH serve as crucibles for scientific discoveries that can save and extend lives, and Illinois universities are no exception. Their work is not an abstraction but a race towards tangible, lifesaving solutions; the administration's proposal to sever vital financial support could critically impair America’s capacity to innovate and lead in the medical field. The complaint has triggered a formidable alliance with attorneys general from states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin joining the fray, pointing to a wide recognition of the threat this cut poses to public health and research.
