ACLU of Rhode Island says the HHS restrictions put grant applicants between a rock and a hard place
ACLU of Rhode IslandState ACLU affiliate whose foundation is cooperating counsel for the plaintiffs, in a statement by executive director Steven Brown
Executive director Steven Brown calls the conditions an unlawful attempt to overhaul grant requirements and says applicants must either accept restrictions counter to their missions or lose funding.
Responding to
The agency priorities that HHS grantees must align with are so vague that they expose grantees to arbitrary enforcement, including False Claims Act actions and grant termination.
“These restrictions are incredibly broad and put grant applicants between a rock and a hard place: They can choose to apply and accept restrictions that are counter to their own missions or not apply, lose the grant funding, and be unable to support the people in their communities.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Domestic-violence coalitions and Rhode Island nonprofits sue HHS over grant terms requiring alignment with agency priorities
Twenty-eight plaintiffs, led by Rhode Island nonprofits and state domestic-violence coalitions, sued HHS over grant terms requiring recipients to align with agency and presidential priorities. They call the terms unlawful and vague; HHS has not yet answered in court.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
ACLU of Rhode Island release announcing the lawsuit, with statements from the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families, Community Care Alliance, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island and the ACLU of Rhode Island, and the full list of plaintiffs.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Brown called the conditions the latest unlawful attempt to overhaul the grant funding requirements and said they undermine the work of the plaintiff organizations.
After the quotation
He said the ACLU of Rhode Island is hopeful the court will rule the restrictions unlawful.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is HHS's grant conditions requiring recipients to align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities. The ACLU of Rhode Island, whose foundation is cooperating counsel for the plaintiffs, calls the restrictions unlawful and broad, which condemns them.
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More from this case
Read the full caseRhode Island Coalition for Children and Families says federal funding should not be conditioned on ideological restrictions
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families
“Federal funding should support children and families' needs and not be conditioned on ideological restrictions that conflict with providers' missions and obligations.”Read statement
Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence says the HHS grant restrictions threaten survivors' access to safety and support
Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
“Survivors deserve access to safety and support without unnecessary barriers, yet, these harmful restrictions imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services threaten that fundamental principle.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "ACLU of Rhode Island says the HHS restrictions put grant applicants between a rock and a hard place". First published: 2026-11-04. Last updated: 2026-11-04. https://disputeindex.com/events/8079-executive-director-steven-brown-calls-the-conditions-an