CDC briefly pauses more than $5 billion in public health grants

Federal officials ended a brief pause of more than 100 grants totaling over $5 billion awarded to states for public health infrastructure. The funding came through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notices sent Friday informed recipients that the money was on hold during a review. The review sought to ensure alignment with administration and agency priorities, according to screenshots shared with STAT. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed Saturday evening that the pause had ended. He said the grants were temporarily paused to put a new review process in place. Nixon stated that HHS will continue to protect taxpayer money and ensure the funds support legitimate purposes. The five-year grant program serves all 50 states and the District of Columbia along with three organizations. It covers 107 public health departments across the country. The program began in late 2022 with additional allocations each December. Most grantees received updated funding last month. Recipients have used the grants to modernize mental health scheduling systems, bolster health surveillance and standardize hiring for community health workers, according to a CDC fact sheet. The Trump administration has applied greater scrutiny to health care grants in the past year. Some grants linked to diversity, equity and inclusion or at odds with the White House agenda have been canceled. The Office of Management and Budget asked all federal agencies this week to list funding provided to certain states led by Democrats. The request was described as a data-collection exercise aimed at reducing fraud and does not involve withholding funds.