“This week, the Trump Administration ripped away $350 million in Congressionally-approved federal funding for the New Jersey Department of Health and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. This funding supports essential programs — at the state, county, and local levels — that protect public health, prevent the spread of communicable diseases, and combat the opioid crisis.

“These irrational and inexplicable cuts have created an unfillable void in funding that will have disastrous ramifications for our most vulnerable neighbors. At a time when measles, tuberculosis, and bird flu have been reported in our region, these cuts will force our state to take contact tracers out of the field and vastly limit the ability of local health departments to follow up on reported cases. These cuts will make it harder for parents to find vaccinations for their children, for providers to get lab results back in time to prevent the spread of severe illness, and for Federally Qualified Health Centers to deliver vital care. They will jeopardize resources that support individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or struggling with substance use disorder, and so many other New Jerseyans who depend on a functional public health care system. And they will immediately stop critical public health infrastructure investments, risking long-term harm and undermining our readiness for emergencies.

“Recklessly terminating this funding demonstrates a complete and total disregard for the health and well-being of our friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans. And it will make it harder for our state to combat the deadly threat of fentanyl, which the Trump Administration has repeatedly claimed as a priority. We will do everything we can to restore this funding — including taking legal action — so we can keep the people of New Jersey safe and healthy.”