Trump seeks to withhold more than $800 million in Congress-approved funds

U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to withhold more than $800 million in federal spending that Congress has already approved, escalating an ongoing dispute between the White House and lawmakers over Congress’ constitutional authority over government spending.

The administration announced the move on Friday, September 25, targeting funding for programmes involving immigration, education, racial-minority business development and other initiatives. The White House said the action was intended to eliminate what it considers wasteful or harmful spending.

The White House is using a rarely employed procedure known as a “pocket rescission”, which allows the president to propose cancelling appropriated funds without first obtaining a conventional vote from Congress. The administration has argued that the targeted programmes no longer serve the interests of American citizens and include spending it associates with illegal immigration and other policies it opposes.

Among the largest amounts identified by the administration is about $567 million in Health and Human Services funding previously used for programmes serving refugees, asylum seekers and other non-citizens. Other targeted funding includes money for migrant education, minority-business development, housing counselling and programmes addressing racial tensions.

The decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers, including Republican Senator Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins said the administration’s action undermines Congress’ constitutional authority over federal spending and argued that appropriated funds cannot be cancelled without congressional approval.

The dispute centres on the Constitution’s allocation of the “power of the purse” to Congress. The Trump administration, however, maintains that the president has authority under the Impoundment Control Act to use the pocket-rescission procedure.

The timing has added to the controversy. The administration announced the move only days before the end of the federal fiscal year, leaving Congress limited time to review the proposed cancellations. The Associated Press reported that federal law provides Congress with 45 days to consider a president’s proposed rescissions, while the Government Accountability Office has questioned the legality of the pocket-rescission approach.

The move follows a similar action by Trump last year involving $4.9 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress. The Supreme Court declined to block that action while litigation continued, although the legal dispute over the scope of presidential spending authority has continued.

The latest action is therefore likely to add another chapter to the broader struggle between the Trump administration and Congress over who has the final authority to determine how federal funds approved by lawmakers are spent.