Congresswomen Pettersen, Sewell, & Underwood Demand Trump Administration Reinstate Wrongfully Cancelled Minority Health Grants

WASHINGTON – Congresswomen Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), led 35 of their colleagues in demanding the Trump administration immediately reinstate more than 16 minority and maternal health grants totaling $38 million that were canceled following a “shift in administration priorities.” These grant cancellations would affect programs meant to address that and other socioeconomic health disparities, including vital maternal and infant health outcomes, health care access in rural communities, treatment and prevention strategies for substance use disorder, and food insecurity for underserved communities. These cancellations come as data report that Black women continue to face a maternal mortality rate nearly 3.5 times that of white women . “The Trump Administration just canceled 16 grants for essential funding used to support moms during pregnancy, babies when they are most vulnerable, and treatment programs for mothers who are struggling with addiction,” said Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. “I’m absolutely heartbroken to think of the Coloradans who will be left behind and the impact on our most vulnerable kids. And to top it off, they are using this money to instead support things like treatment for erectile dysfunction in the name of family values. Absolutely reprehensible.” Specifically, the administration has directed the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (OMH) to redirect funding historically used to support maternal health toward what it describes as the “root causes of infertility and reproductive health conditions,” including low sperm count, reduced sperm motility, low testosterone, and erectile dysfunction, impounding funds specifically meant to support minority communities. In the letter, the Members wrote: “OMH was established to confront and eliminate health disparities nationwide, by elevating community partnerships and establishing programs to support health outcomes across U.S. minority populations. That mission remains urgent. It is alarming that, instead of addressing the continued need for services that make a life-and-death difference in American communities, your office will redirect this funding to prioritize only “addressing the root causes of infertility and reproductive health conditions and promoting physical activity.” This shift overlooks the continued, critical need for comprehensive health equity programs that directly support the communities OMH was created to serve. The Members continued: “OMH plays a critical role in providing national leadership, engaging community partners, and deploying resources to eliminate health disparities across this nation. This mission has historically supported a broad range of services that have filled critical care voids across our communities. The reprioritization of discretionary funding is not only incredibly concerning, but demonstrates a stark break from the comprehensive programs and services that these grants have previously supported.” The grants canceled by the Administration threaten to disrupt long-standing infrastructure that employs community health workers, collects data, maintains relationships with patients and communities, and provides reliable health and nutrition services that residents depend on. Abruptly terminating these investments will not only interrupt essential care but also erase years of progress toward reducing health disparities and improving outcomes for mothers, infants, and underserved communities. Moreover, the recipients of these grants had already been awarded funding appropriated by Congress, with some being two years into a four year grant period, raising serious concerns about the Administration’s authority to abruptly terminate funds that have already been earmarked. The signers of the letter include: Rep. Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ), Del. Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.), Rep. Ivey (D-MD), Rep. Kelly (D-IL), Rep. H. Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Espaillat (D-NY), Rep. Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Bell (D-MO), Rep. Watson-Coleman (D-NJ), Rep. Salinas (D-OR), Rep. Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Rep. Moulton (D-MA), Rep. Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Thanedar (D-MI), Rep. Crockett (D-TX), Rep. Carter (D-LA), Rep. Beatty (D-OH), Rep. McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Jackson (D-IL), Rep. Barragán (D-CA), Rep. Chu (D-CA), Rep. Brown (D-OH), Rep. Lee (D-PA), Rep. Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Jacobs (D-CA), Rep. McClain-Delaney (D-MD), Rep. Stansbury (D-NM), Rep. Vargas (D-CA), Rep. Torres (D-NY), Rep. Randall (D-WA), Rep. McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Rep. Tonko (D-NY), Rep. Simon (D-CA) See the full text of the letter HERE and below. Dear Captain Mofidi: We write to express our deep concern regarding the termination of 16 grants administered by the Office of Minority Health (OMH).1 On August 25th, 2026, grantees — with services supporting advancing vital maternal and health outcomes, promoting health care access in rural communities, supporting treatment and prevention strategies for substance use disorder, and reducing food insecurity — received notice from OMH that federal awards were to be terminated, effective immediately, pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.340(a)(4). Historically, grants under OMH have significantly reduced health disparities by targeting areas with an existing, but unmet need. The termination of these grants not only threatens the health outcomes of communities nationwide, but will destabilize the services that American families rely on today, at the intersection of rising costs and continued attacks on health care. We are also deeply concerned about OMH stated intentions to redirect attention towards discretionary funding priorities. In a note to grantees, OMH noted that funding would now prioritize, “...(1) reducing overmedicalization in health care by addressing the root causes of infertility and reproductive health conditions, such as…low sperm count, low sperm mobility, low testosterone levels, and erectile dysfunction.” OMH was established to confront and eliminate health disparities nationwide, by elevating community partnerships and establishing programs to support health outcomes across U.S. minority populations. That mission remains urgent. It is alarming that, instead of addressing the continued need for services that make a life-and-death difference in American communities, your office will redirect this funding to prioritize only “addressing the root causes of infertility and reproductive health conditions and promoting physical activity.” This shift overlooks the continued, critical need for comprehensive health equity programs that directly support the communities OMH was created to serve. This redirection of funding is a severe disservice to existing grants that have consistently delivered measurable results. If OMH’s priority is to support growing families, all while addressing existing health disparities, then your office must uphold the responsibility of continuing to fund the entities that implement strategies proven to narrow health disparities and improve outcomes across this country. We ask that OMH immediately reinstate the grant funding for these 16 entities. We additionally request the answers to the following questions no later than October 2, 2026. Please provide a detailed analysis of every grant that was terminated across the Office of Minority Health. Please include information regarding how this decision was made, include the names of any officials that played a role in termination decisions, and the total amount of unexpended funds for each grant. Please provide a detailed description that outlines any known violations, underutilization metrics, or program failures, that would require OMH to redirect funds away from active and ongoing grants that facilitate programs with demonstrated outcomes. Please provide detailed information regarding existing opportunities for grantees to submit an appeal. Please include: a. OMH’s deadline for appeal submissions; b. Any supplementary materials that OMH directly requested; c. How OMH will review the appeals, including any provided documentation; and d. When corresponding decisions will be communicated to grantees. Please provide any questions or feedback that OMH has received from any entity that received a termination notice. Please include detailed information regarding OMH’s response and support they have offered these stakeholders. OMH plays a critical role in providing national leadership, engaging community partners, and deploying resources to eliminate health disparities across this nation. This mission has historically supported a broad range of services that have filled critical care voids across our communities. The reprioritization of discretionary funding is not only incredibly concerning, but demonstrates a stark break from the comprehensive programs and services that these grants have previously supported. We urge OMH to reinstate this funding immediately to mitigate any severe consequences to the health of our communities. We appreciate your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ### To access downloadable, high-quality photos, click here . To stay up-to-date on what Pettersen is doing in Congress, follow her on Twitter here , Facebook here , or Instagram here . Residents can also sign-up for her e-newsletter subscription here .