WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is canceling almost $1 billion in spending that Congress approved, as announced by the White House on Friday. This action employs a rare and debated power to eliminate funding for immigrant services and programs aimed at promoting diversity.
Trump’s Office of Management and Budget characterized the funding cuts as targeting “the most harmful government spending.”
The majority of the reductions affect Health and Human Services programs that assist refugees and unaccompanied minors who are alleged to be in the country illegally. The administration claims these funds are no longer needed due to a significant drop in illegal border crossings.
Other programs facing cuts include a Department of Education initiative for migrant students, a Department of Justice office focused on reducing racial tensions, a business development program for minority entrepreneurs, housing counseling services from the Housing and Urban Development Department, and various grants from the Health and Human Services Department that officials labeled “outright harmful and blatantly ideological.”
A press release from the White House announcing these funding rescissions highlights that some organizations involved are led by individuals who previously worked under Democratic President Barack Obama.
This decision drew criticism from Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican facing a challenging reelection campaign who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Collins stated that this action was taken without prior warning or consultation. She also mentioned her intention to address “these illegal actions” with her colleagues.
“Not only is the delay itself an impoundment that was not reported to Congress, but also it is a usurpation of Congress’s appropriations powers,” Collins said. “OMB is an agency of the executive branch. It does not get to decide which programs are worth funding.”
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According to federal law, Congress has 45 days to review any proposed spending cuts from the president before they can take effect. However, Trump complicated this process by making his announcement just five days before the end of the federal fiscal year while the House was out of session until after November elections. The Government Accountability Office, which operates under Congress, asserts that this tactic known as a “pocket rescission” is illegal.
Collins referred to it as another attempt by OMB to “undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse.”
A year ago, Trump executed a pocket rescission for the first time in nearly 50 years when he blocked $4.9 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress. The U. S. Supreme Court chose not to block those rescissions, citing Trump’s authority over foreign affairs as heavily influencing their decision. This year marks Trump’s focus on domestic spending.
The implementation of a “pocket rescission” reflects an ongoing trend within Trump’s administration aimed at increasing control over government operations while diminishing Congressional authority.
The last notable use of such a maneuver took place in 1977 when then-Democratic President Jimmy Carter exercised it; however, Trump’s administration argues it remains legally viable despite some ambiguity since Carter had initially suggested clawbacks well ahead of deadlines.
The administration has also terminated federal employees’ positions, implemented historic tariff increases, and initiated military actions without Congressional approval regarding Iran-placing pressure on courts to determine limits on presidential power.
Sen. Patty Murray from Washington, who leads Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee described this White House action as “theft from the American people, plain and simple.”
“These are funds Congress has delivered on a bipartisan basis and should be helping people-not cut off by a president more focused on building a ballroom than investing in families,” Murray stated.
Murray noted that during recent budget negotiations Democrats pushed for provisions preventing the administration from overriding Congressional authority over budget decisions but faced resistance from Republicans.
“While Trump spends tax dollars on ads promoting himself, Congress needs to reassert its powers to help people-and it’s past time Republicans join us in that fight,” she added.
Beyond immigrant services cuts, the White House indicated plans for rescinding $70 million allocated for what it termed “woke” international education initiatives; $28 million intended for Health and Human Services research grants; $9 million earmarked for debt relief related to climate change policies abroad; plus another $10 million being withheld from minority business development efforts.
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