OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington has joined over 20 other states in suing the Trump Administration over its order to cut funds for medical research.

State Attorney General Nick Brown announced the lawsuit today, Feb. 10 in the latest of his legal battles against the president.

The suit came in response to the National Institute of Health (NIH) declaring on Friday that it will begin lowering grant funds it offers to universities and research centers, saving roughly $4 billion. NIH-funded grants support biomedical research that seeks to treat diseases and detect any potential health threats, such as bird flu.

The University of Washington received nearly $24 million from the NIH in 2024.

The states argue that Trump’s order violates the Administrative Procedure Act by ignoring “profound harms” the cuts will cause to lifesaving research on cancer, addiction and other diseases.

Monday’s suit comes as a third federal judge blocked President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, following similar rulings in Seattle and Maryland last week.

Just hours after the lawsuit was filed, U.S. District court judge in Massachusetts granted the motion for a temporary restraining order, pausing the cuts.