Judge Hears Arguments on HHS’ Termination of Public Health Funds

A Trump administration attorney and Colorado’s deputy solicitor general squared off in a Rhode Island courtroom Thursday over the health agency’s rescission of about $11 billion in public health funds awarded to 23 states and the District of Columbia.

David Moskowitz, representing the states, told Judge Mary S. McElroy that the US Department of Health and Human Services had no authority to refuse to spend money that Congress appropriated to fund the plaintiffs’ programs. He argued that Congress didn’t clearly give the agency the authority to refuse to spend money it had appropriated by statute.

But Assistant US Attorney Kevin ...