The White House has asked the Senate Appropriations Health subcommittee to halt all funding for the CLASS Act for fiscal year 2012.

The administration, which had initially asked the committee to designate $120 million to the program for the FY 2012 starting Oct. 1, instructed them to zero out the funding, a staffer from Sen. Tom Harkin’s office told The Hill. “The committee has not provided funding for this activity in recognition that its implementation has been delayed,” a report for the fiscal 2012 House and Human Services spending bill that Senate members approved Wednesday evening, stated.

Last week, after the CLASS program’s head actuary alerted media outlets that his position had been eliminated, HHS issued a statement saying that the long-term care insurance program known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act was being put on hold.

The Republican Group, called the Repeal CLASS Working Group, earlier this month released a report doubting the program’s financial solvency. It is now seeking clarification from HHS as to how the program was designed. To read the letter, click here.