Judge Pledges to ‘Work as Quickly as I Can’ After Hearing Arguments to Pause Nursing Home Staffing Mandate
In the litigation against the federal nursing home staffing mandate, in which state attorneys general from 20 states are seeking a temporary halt, a federal judge heard oral arguments from both the government and the states on Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) urged the federal judge to deny the injunctive relief requested by the state attorneys general and several providers, arguing that Congress has allowed federal authorities to implement rules pertaining to staffing, citing past restrictions for social workers and infection prevention and control.