WASHINGTON - Months after Congress approved $175 billion in emergency aid to health providers, the Trump administration has yet to pay out the majority of the funds — nearly $100 billion — amid a series of setbacks and internal uncertainty over how best to distribute the money. At least 1,900 health centers across the country have temporarily closed already, with a growing number of providers furloughing staff to keep afloat. What federal aid has gone out has largely missed those that care primarily for the poorest and most vulnerable Americans.

Republicans led by Sen. Chuck Grassley pressured health officials in private over the past few weeks, at one point threatening to go public with their criticisms if the administration failed to pick up the pace. The Trump administration has blamed much of the holdup on state health departments that have been slow to provide information critical to determining which providers should qualify for the next round of funding.

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