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    Judge blocks HHS reorganization plan

    By Robyn Oster
    July 2025

    The main point: A federal judge temporarily blocked much of HHS’s planned reorganization.

    The details:

    • The lawsuit was filed in May by 19 states, seeking to block the HHS restructuring plan Secretary Kennedy rolled out earlier this year (including the layoffs, eliminating or moving programs/agencies, etc.).
    • The judge ruled that the states have shown “irreparable harm” from the cuts and that the executive branch does not have the authority to unilaterally make sweeping changes to agencies created by Congress.

    Next steps:

    • The decision halts many of the administration’s plans to lay off thousands across HHS and restructure the department. The decision applies specifically to terminated employees in CDC, FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and employees who work on the Head Start program.
    • The administration is required to file a status report by July 11 to prove that it is complying with the order.

    Read more: Federal judge blocks much of the Trump administration’s HHS layoff plans; U.S. judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted