U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL), an attorney and former public finance litigator, raised serious legal and public health concerns this week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abruptly terminated a $190 million federal grant to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), a move that immediately eliminated 140 full-time positions across county health departments statewide.
In a video statement posted to Instagram, Rep. Sewell, who represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, called the termination “very troubling” and criticized the lack of notice and administrative process involved in the decision.
She stated that the funding cut took effect immediately on Monday, despite the ADPH only receiving formal notification the following day.
The terminated grant supported a critical public health workforce tasked with infectious disease prevention, including investigations in prisons, nursing homes, and daycare centers.
“There is currently a measles outbreak in other states,” Sewell noted. “It hasn’t reached Alabama yet, but this loss of personnel increases the risk of delayed detection and response—especially in vulnerable populations.”
According to Sewell, the CDC’s action is part of a broader pattern of federal public health cuts under the Trump administration. She also pointed to growing concerns about the legal process and accountability, suggesting potential violations of administrative norms and due process in the abrupt cancellation of long-standing funding obligations.
“The public health department is now scrambling to find alternative funding,” she said. “And I hope that Alabama’s senators and state officials are prepared to push back against these harmful and, I would argue, procedurally questionable cuts.”
From a legal standpoint, the situation raises questions about the authority of federal agencies to terminate grants without adequate notice or opportunity for the affected parties to respond—a possible breach of federal administrative law and contract principles.
The loss of public health staff also implicates Title VI concerns, as the affected communities include many underserved, low-income, and rural counties that may now be disproportionately burdened by the cuts.
Rep. Sewell, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and former White House Fellow, stressed her continued commitment to exploring all legal and legislative avenues to restore the funding.
“I will continue to legislate, litigate, and mobilize,” she said. “The people of Alabama deserve transparency, fairness, and protection—especially when it comes to their health.”
As of publication, the CDC has not released a formal explanation for the termination. Legal experts suggest that affected parties, including ADPH and impacted counties, could pursue administrative remedies or legal challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) or relevant public health statutes if the termination is deemed arbitrary, capricious, or lacking statutory authority.
The incident underscores growing tension between state-level public health systems and federal oversight during the second Trump administration, particularly in Southern states already facing systemic health disparities and limited public health infrastructure.
