Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia on Monday secured a federal court order blocking an attempt by the Trump administration to pressure healthcare providers into ending necessary healthcare for transgender youth.
The Court granted the coalition’s motion for summary judgment, ruling the administration cannot threaten to cut off hospitals and clinics from Medicare and Medicaid, for providing this essential care.
“Politicians should never drive medical decision-making,” said Attorney General Nessel. “I am relieved that the Court has affirmed that the federal government cannot unlawfully interfere with doctors providing essential healthcare, including treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. My office remains committed to protecting access to necessary care for young transgender individuals.”
Nessel and those same Demorcat-represented states also filed a lawsuit Monday over Trump’s attempt to impose conditions on funding received through U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, grants, cooperative agreements and mutual interest agreements.
She says that the USDA has threatened harsh penalties if states do not comply with what she calls a “vague and expansive funding conditions relating to immigration, diversity, equity and inclusion, and gender identity”. Nessel claims all are unrelated to the purpose of USDA funding.
The lawsuit asks the court to block USDA from imposing these illegal funding conditions, including on critical USDA programs such as the school lunch program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and the Volunteer Fire Capacity Program, among others. These programs provide basic, essential services for millions of Michigan’s most vulnerable children, working families, senior citizens and rural communities.
“The Trump administration is once again trying to pressure states into complying with vague and unlawful conditions by threatening to withhold essential federal funding,” said Attorney General Nessel. “We’ve challenged and defeated these tactics before and are fully prepared to do it again to ensure Michiganders receive the assistance they need to feed their families.”
Since January 1st, the USDA has put conditions require states to promise to comply with the Trump administration’s policies relating to gender identity, diversity, immigration, and excluding transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. Nessel says that the USDA “does not fully identify or limit the policies with which the states must comply”, leaving states at the mercy of the administration for enforcement of the new conditions.
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