While 23 Other States Recoup Federal Funding Through Joint Lawsuit, Ayotte’s Decision Cost New Hampshire $80M

Contact: Ryan Mahoney, ryan@amplifynh.org

While 23 Other States Recoup Federal Funding Through Joint Lawsuit, Ayotte’s Decision Cost New Hampshire $80M

CONCORD, N.H. —  On Tuesday, April 1st, a bipartisan group of governors representing 23 states filed a lawsuit to protect the $11.4 billion in state funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and illegally cancelled by the Trump Administration. New Hampshire was not part of the lawsuit because Governor Kelly Ayotte refused to request relief — a startling development considering that just a week prior, Ayotte was caught flat-footed by the cancellation of $80 million of those funds allocated to New Hampshire, which she had been anticipating spending as part of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 New Hampshire budget. This funding hole represents nearly 5% of Ayotte’s original $16.5 billion state budget proposal.

On Thursday, April 3rd, a Federal Judge in Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order blocking the cancellation of the funding, indicating the ensigned governors were likely to prevail on the merits of the case. Because Governor Ayotte did not choose to participate in the lawsuit, New Hampshire will not be eligible to recoup the $80 million hole as part of the suit, leaving the state with an enormous funding gap that will likely mean Ayotte raising taxes or cutting critical services.

“While 23 other governors took action to protect their states and win back funding, Ayotte sat on her hands and left $80 million on the table for no reason. She’s not asleep at the wheel — she is choosing to driving us straight into a ditch,” said Amplify New Hampshire Executive Director Ryan Mahoney. “Governor Ayotte had every opportunity to stand up for New Hampshire, but failed to. Is Ayotte just in over her head or is her loyalty to Trump and fear of retribution getting in the way of governing the state effectively? Either way, Ayotte has left Granite Staters on the hook for $80 million — which likely spells significant tax hikes for hardworking families.”

Ayotte should be raising hell and cursing out the White House for leaving New Hampshire in this mess—but she can’t, because she helped create it, calling her close ally Donald Trump the right choice for the White House in her endorsement last year. Now she’s reaping what she sowed while New Hampshire pays the price.

These cuts aren’t a fluke—they’re part of a clear pattern of federal disinvestment under Trump that disproportionately hurts states like New Hampshire .The Trump Administration recently froze federal grant that threaten $1.5 million in COPS grants for police departments, jeopardize coverage and access for 184,000 New Hampshire Medicaid recipients, and risk the state’s $14 million for homelessness programs. Ayotte should have seen this coming from a mile away. Instead, she made a political bet, and Granite Staters are now the ones paying the price.

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About Amplify New Hampshire

Amplify New Hampshire is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization founded to keep Granite Staters informed of the decisions made in local, state, and federal government that will impact their lives and empower them to enact change. For more information, visit amplifynh.org.