Lawsuits challenge US cuts to anti-teen pregnancy grants

OMAHA, Neb. – Nine organizations covering several states have filed lawsuits seeking to reverse a decision by President Donald Trump’s administration to cut short funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs.

The lawsuits were filed Thursday on behalf of three Planned Parenthood affiliates, including those covering Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Hawaii, Nebraska and Washington state, as well as organizations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas and Maryland.

The lawsuits — filed in federal courts in Washington, Maryland, and the District of Columbia — say the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unlawfully plans to end the five-year Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants in June after three years. The funding, which offers about $100 million annually, provides sex education, youth development and abstinence education.

A spokesman for HHS said Thursday that the agency cannot comment on pending litigation.