On Tuesday, Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares refused to join 22 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration for illegally terminating $11 billion of critical public health funding and cutting thousands of jobs.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will lose up to $425 million in federal funding, which will cut staff and slash funding for infectious disease testing, vaccine programs, and initiatives addressing health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an email obtained by VPM News. Axios reported that some of the grants also have been used to improve bird flu and measles testing and support for substance abuse programs.

Miyares has refused to join other lawsuits that stand up to Trump’s dangerous actions, including the dismantling of the Department of Education, the mass firing of probationary federal employees, allowing Elon Musk to access sensitive U.S. Treasury material, and freezing federal funds for critical programs.

“Public health should never be a partisan issue, yet Jason Miyares continues to put his political interests ahead of the well-being of Virginians. His refusal to stand up for the health and safety of our communities is a clear reflection of his failure to lead when it matters most,” said DPVA Communications Director Kelsey Carolan. “Virginia deserves an attorney general who will stand firm against Trump’s harmful cuts to critical public health funding—not one who turns a blind eye to the needs of our Commonwealth.”

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