Trump moves to cancel $810 million in approved spending, drawing bipartisan rebuke

President Donald Trump has told congressional leaders that his administration is cancelling nearly $1 billion in previously approved federal spending without Congress's consent, using a disputed budget maneuver known as a "pocket rescission." The White House announced the move Friday night, just days before the federal fiscal year ends on September 30.

Full report

According to Bloomberg Government, the White House announced late Friday that it plans to cut $810 million in federal spending through a pocket rescission spanning seven departments. Politico reported that Trump informed congressional leaders of the decision on Friday; Politico placed the overall cancellation at nearly $1 billion, while CQ Roll Call put it at $810 million.

Half of the cuts — $567 million — would land on the Department of Health and Human Services, clawing back part of the funding for HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement programs, which serve refugees, asylees and other noncitizens. The remaining losses would come from the Departments of Commerce, Education, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice, as well as international assistance programs; many of the cuts target programs aimed at helping immigrants. The administration described the action as "historic action to eliminate wasteful and harmful spending," CQ Roll Call reported.

"Without warning or consultation, Congress just received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the Administration," Collins said in a statement. "Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law," she said. "This move shows that OMB intentionally withheld these funds for months to execute this unlawful cancellation of appropriations that were approved on a bipartisan basis and signed into law." She said the delay itself was an unreported impoundment and "a usurpation of Congress's appropriations powers," adding that she would work with colleagues to address "these illegal actions."

Among Democrats, Murray called the rescission "theft from the American people." Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said Trump and OMB Director Russell Vought "violated the law by sending Congress more illegal pocket rescissions in the dark of night."

Last year, a $4.9 billion foreign-aid pocket rescission led to litigation; a Supreme Court interim ruling allowed the administration to proceed without resolving the broader legal question. Procedurally, the Senate is scheduled to be in session next week during the final three days before the fiscal year ends September 30 — but an OMB spokesperson said the White House plans to rescind the funds regardless of whether Congress approves the request before then.