The federal government previously entered into contracts with Pennsylvania to fund public health initiatives, cut energy costs, provide safe drinking water, and create jobs in rural communities. Key to Shapiro’s challenge is that Congress, the holder of the federal government’s purse strings, authorized these funds. Under the United States Constitution, neither Trump’s administration nor federal agencies have the power to restrict states’ access to the money appropriated by Congress. In the instant case, Pennsylvania is being denied over $2 billion in federal funding. This funding was slated to assist both people and businesses in Pennsylvania including in the energy, health, and environmental sectors.
