Governors Public Health Alliance warns decision undermines states’ ability to track vaccination rates and protect children’s health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz urging CMS to reverse its recent decision to remove childhood immunization measures from the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Core Sets. Core Sets are the standardized measures states use to track how well Medicaid and CHIP are delivering care, including whether children are receiving recommended vaccines. The letter is available here.

PHA – a nonpartisan coalition founded by 15 governors in October 2025 and representing approximately one-third of the U.S. population – warned that eliminating these measures reduces visibility into vaccination trends for millions of children, limits states’ ability to assess the impact of recent federal vaccine policy changes, and bypasses the standard public process used to generally update the Core Sets.

While CMS has removed these measures from the Core Sets, states represented in the Governors Public Health Alliance will continue tracking childhood immunization data to ensure states have the information needed to protect kids and respond to emerging risks.

“These measures are essential tools that governors and state health leaders rely on to understand vaccination coverage, identify gaps, and protect children’s health. Removing them without state consultation or public input undermines transparency, accountability, and the ability of states to respond effectively to emerging public health risks,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “States cannot effectively manage Medicaid and CHIP programs without reliable, comparable data. At a time when federal vaccine recommendations are shifting and preventable diseases are resurging, reducing access to this data makes it harder to protect children and communities.”

In the letter, PHA governors raised concern that CMS announced the removal of the childhood immunization measures on December 30, 2025, without advance consultation with states or a public comment period. The Core Sets are typically updated through a structured, evidence-driven process involving state officials, clinicians, public health experts, and other stakeholders that CMS bypassed.

Governors also emphasized that the decision comes at a particularly dangerous moment, as the United States faces a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles. Eliminating standardized reporting on childhood immunization rates reduces states’ ability to track trends across state lines, anticipate outbreaks, and coordinate responses to public health threats that do not respect borders. It is unclear why CMS would make this abrupt and dangerous decision in this moment, as it claims to want to better analyze vaccines. Collection of this sort of information does exactly what HHS has said it wants to do—examine the public health impacts of vaccination.

The Governors Public Health Alliance urged CMS to immediately restore childhood immunization measures to the Child Core Set, reaffirm the importance of transparent, science-based decision-making, and engage states and stakeholders in any future changes to quality measurement.

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About the Governors Public Health Alliance

The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. Supported by GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information.  To learn more, go to www.GovsforHealth.org.

About GovAct

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.

In a major victory for state sovereignty and the rule of law, a federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful federalization and deployment of the National Guard in Illinois.

The ruling comes after 26 former governors — Republicans and Democrats alike — filed an amicus brief supporting the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago’s lawsuit challenging the President’s actions. The brief, organized by the Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) and Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD), urged the court to grant the TRO and defend the constitutional balance between state and federal authority.

Background on the Bipartisan Brief

A bipartisan coalition of 26 former governors filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in support of the State of Illinois and City of Chicago.

The brief warned that the Administration’s unilateral deployment of the National Guard over the governor’s objections “threatens to upend the constitutional balance of state and federal authority” and could “exacerbate tensions” by overriding local law enforcement.

“In amici’s experience, local law enforcement agencies are best equipped to respond to issues that arise in connection with local protests,” the governors wrote. “The hasty federalization and deployment of the National Guard without consultation and cooperation from Illinois authorities—while local and state law enforcement are successfully maintaining order—will only increase risk to civilians and officers alike.”

The signatories include former governors from both parties: Jerry Brown (CA-D); Steve Bullock (MT-D); Arne Carlson (MN-R); Mark Dayton (MN-D); Jim Doyle (WI-D); Parris Glendening (MD-D); Jennifer Granholm (MI-D); Bill Graves (KS-R); Christine Gregoire (WA-D); Jay Inslee (WA-D); Tony Knowles (AK-D); Gary Locke (WA-D); Terry McAuliffe (VA-D); Janet Napolitano (AZ-D); Martin O’Malley (MD-D); Deval Patrick (MA-D); Marc Racicot (MT-R); Bill Ritter Jr. (CO-D); Kathleen Sebelius (KS-D); Steve Sisolak (NV-D); Eliot Spitzer (NY-D); Ted Strickland (OH-D); Tom Vilsack (IA-D); Bill Weld (MA-R); Christine Todd Whitman (NJ-R); and Tom Wolf (PA-D).

ICYMI

The New York Times:

“Some bipartisanship still exists — with former governors.”

“More than two dozen of them filed a motion on Wednesday afternoon requesting permission to enter a legal brief objecting to the Texas Guard mobilization in Illinois. Among the Republicans were William Weld of Massachusetts, Bill Graves of Kansas, Arne Carlson of Minnesota, Marc Racicot of Montana and Christie Whitman of New Jersey.”

“The president’s assertion of authority to deploy military troops on domestic soil based on his unreviewable discretion, and without the cooperation and coordination of state authorities, threatens to upset the delicate balance of state and federal authority that underlies our constitutional order.”

Read more from The New York Times →

Capitol Fax:

“Republican governors, bipartisan group of former governors file dueling amicus briefs in Illinois v. Trump.”

Read more from Capitol Fax →

Politico:

“Illinois has support: A group of GOP-led states filed an amicus brief Wednesday in the case: 26 former governors from both parties say they support state sovereignty.”

Read more from Politico →

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About Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration among governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances that address critical issues from democracy to public safety.

About Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD) is a nonpartisan initiative of governors working together to uphold and fortify American democracy, supported by GovAct. Co-chaired by Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, GSD helps governors collaborate to strengthen democratic institutions, protect fundamental freedoms, and defend the rule of law.

Bipartisan Group of 25 Former Governors Join Amicus Brief Urging the Ninth Circuit to Uphold Blocking the Unprecedented Federalization of the National Guard

Washington, D.C. — A bipartisan coalition of 25 former governors filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit opposing President Trump’s unconstitutional takeover of California’s National Guard. GovAct, a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work together across state lines, and Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD), an alliance supported by GovAct, represented the former governors as President Trump considers federalizing the National Guard in additional American cities and states.

Download Amicus Brief

The former governors’ brief supports California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State of California, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s order enjoining the federalization and deployment of the California National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406 without the Governor’s consultation or consent.

Drawing on decades of executive experience managing disasters, public health emergencies, and civil unrest as the commanders in chief of their states, the former governors explain that the Administration’s action threatens the constitutional balance of federal and state authority, undermines public safety by diverting critical state resources, and breaks sharply with the nation’s historic practice of federal–state cooperation regarding the National Guard.

The brief stresses: “Throughout our history, and notwithstanding our nation’s political, social, and geographic diversity, the federal government has rarely and only under the most extraordinary circumstances imposed military authority on the citizens of a state against the wishes of the state’s executive.  The structure of our federalist system, and the language of the relevant statutory provisions at issue in this case, impose legal constraints on the president’s authority to take such extreme measures.”

Former Governors signed onto the brief include:

• Jerry Brown (CA-D)

• Steve Bullock (MT-D)

• Arne Carlson (MN-R)

• Mark Dayton (MN-D)

• Jim Doyle (WI-D)

• Parris N. Glendening (MD-D)

• Jennifer M. Granholm (MI-D)

• Bill Graves (KS-R)

• Christine Gregoire (WA-D)

• Tony Knowles (AK-D)

• Gary Locke (WA-D)

• Terry McAuliffe (VA-D)

• Janet Napolitano (AZ-D)

• Martin O’Malley (MD-D)

• Deval Patrick (MA-D)

• Marc Racicot (MT-R)

• Bill Ritter Jr. (CO-D)

• Kathleen Sebelius (KS-D)

• Steve Sisolak (NV-D)

• Eliot Spitzer (NY-D)

• Ted Strickland (OH-D)

• Tom Vilsack (IA-D)

• Bill Weld (MA-R)

• Christine Todd Whitman (NJ-R)

• Tom Wolf (PA-D)

GovAct and Governors Safeguarding Democracy are represented pro bono by Free + Fair Litigation Group and Joseph T. Baio LLC.

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About GovAct

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom and democracy to immigration and public safety.  To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.

About Governors Safeguarding Democracy

Governors Safeguarding Democracy (GSD) is a nonpartisan initiative of governors working together to uphold and fortify American democracy, supported by GovAct. Directed by an Executive Committee of governors or their designees and co-chaired by Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, GSD helps governors collaborate to strengthen democracy by advancing policy that protects fundamental freedoms and improves people’s lives. Together, GSD aims to help push back against anti-democratic threats and protect the rule of law and systems of democracy our country and our states depend on. To learn more, go to www.GovsforDemocracy.org.

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