A group of Democratic-led states on Tuesday sued Republican President Donald Trump's administration to challenge its cancellation of $11 billion in federal grants allocated to the states during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attorneys general and governors from 23 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Rhode Island argue the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lacks the authority to unilaterally claw back funding the states had already built health programs around.
The slash in funding was the latest wave of cuts to be overseen by new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The department said the funds were largely used for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and other responses to the pandemic in announcing the termination of the grants last week.