The state attorney general and the governor are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over recent billions of cancellations in funding allocated to the health department during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials said ending the grants and agreements was done to “improve the effectiveness of the pandemic as it was issued for limited purposes.”
“Grants and cooperation agreements are no longer needed as the pandemic is over and limited purpose has run out,” they said.
The state said in the lawsuit that “the foreseeable end of the Covid-19 pandemic is not a legitimate basis for ending “for a cause.”
“The defendant has never claimed that he failed to comply with the terms of the grants and contracts by recipients of the fund, and has not been demonstrated. Congress did not limit the funds in question here during the Covid-19 emergency,” they said.
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This allocation was made by Congress through a variety of laws, including the $2.1 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and the Economic Security Act of 2020.
California Attorney General, Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Road Island, Washington, Washington, Washington, Washington, Washington, Washington. Kentucky Governor Andy Besher and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined the lawsuit. All plaintiffs are Democrats. Kentucky and Pennsylvania Attorney Generals are Republicans and are not part of the legal agenda.
The state is smashing cancellations in courts, declaring them illegal, prohibiting HHS from implementing cancellations or asking them to be restored “without the need for a legal or regulatory process.”
HHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“My office is taking immediate action to stop this heartless myopia movement and ensure that these life-saving programs remain as they are,” she said.
A spokesman for HHS said the money was intended for Covid-19 testing, vaccinations and other pandemic services. A spokesperson said the funds remained unused.
