Miami Standard – The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is proposing cuts to nearly $1 billion in grants meant for state health departments in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, according to newly published data on the department’s website.

The “wall of receipts” section of DOGE’s website, which tracks federal spending reductions, lists a total of $867,801,623 in potential cuts. Ohio faces the largest reduction, with $361,373,263 in grants at risk, followed by Indiana at $378,666,159 and Kentucky at $127,762,201.

State Leaders Push Back

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed the cuts in a press conference on Thursday, calling them unlawful and vowing to challenge them.

“We have received notice of grants being canceled,” said Beshear. “It’s an unlawful cancelation, and we’ll challenge it. You know, these are contracts that we have. The contracts can only be terminated for cause, which means somebody did something wrong, and they’re trying to define cause as the pandemic’s over. That’s not a legal argument,” he added.

Beshear emphasized that these grants fund critical health programs, including efforts to combat recent measles outbreaks and concerns over bird flu.

Breakdown of Funding Reductions

The newly listed reductions on DOGE’s website indicate the following cuts:

• Kentucky: $122,505,280 from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, $5,421,284 from the Human Resources Cabinet.
• Ohio: $303,447,624 from the Department of Health, $32,577,014 from the Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, $25,348,625 from the Department of Mental Health.
• Indiana: $351,425,035 from the Department of Health, $27,241,124 from the Department of Mental Health.

Despite detailing the affected agencies, DOGE has not specified how these funds were originally allocated or when the cuts will take effect.

DOGE Under Scrutiny

The department’s “wall of receipts” has faced growing criticism over transparency and accuracy. Investigations by media outlets, including the Associated Press and The New York Times, have found discrepancies in DOGE’s reported savings, with some figures allegedly inflated by billions of dollars. In some cases, DOGE reportedly included grants that had been rescinded long before former President Donald Trump returned to office.