密歇根州联合另外13州起诉美国劳工部 要求返还被收回的失业保险系统拨款
据密歇根州公共媒体WCMU 10月13日报道，密歇根州联合另外13个州起诉美国劳工部，要求返还被收回的失业保险系统改进拨款。这批拨款源于国会2021年通过的《美国救援计划法》，旨在帮助各州现代化失业保险技术、加强防欺诈、及时发放福利并促进公平获取；劳工部总计向各州发放超过7.8亿美元，在14个原告州中已被收回超过4500万美元。
诉状称，劳工部在特朗普政府上任第一年致函各州取消协议，理由是协议“不再符合劳工部的拨款优先事项”；各州主张拨款协议构成可执行的合同，劳工部无权仅因优先事项变化而终止拨款。密歇根州获批678万美元“公平”类拨款，其中283万美元被收回；另有447万美元“虎队”专家类拨款，其中141万美元被收回。劳工部发言人考特妮·帕雷拉对诉讼作出了回应，称上一届政府浪费了拨款。
Michigan and 13 Other States Sue US Labor Department Over Clawed-Back Unemployment Funds
WCMU Public Media reported on October 13 that Michigan and 13 other states are suing the US Department of Labor for clawing back funding for improvements to state unemployment insurance systems. The grants were created under the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in 2021 to help modernize the technology used to administer state unemployment programs, better prevent fraud, pay benefits promptly and promote equitable access. The Labor Department awarded more than $780 million in total, and more than $45 million has been clawed back in the 14 plaintiff states, according to the lawsuit.
The states argue the department committed a breach of contract, saying the grant agreements are enforceable contracts that did not allow termination simply because of a change in federal priorities; the department sent letters in the first year of the Trump administration saying the agreements no longer effectuated its grant funding priorities. Michigan was awarded $6.78 million in equity grants, of which $2.83 million was clawed back, and $4.47 million in Tiger Team grants, of which $1.41 million was clawed back. Labor Department spokesperson Courtney Parella responded to the lawsuit, saying the previous administration squandered the funding on wasteful projects.
图片来源：兰辛密歇根州议会大厦圆顶实景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，w_lemay 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0 授权
