Trump cancels nearly USD 1 billion in federal spending using contested pocket rescission

President Donald Trump has told congressional leaders that his administration is cancelling nearly 1 billion in previously approved federal spending without obtaining Congressrsquo consent triggering a fresh confrontation over presidential power and public fundingThe money covers immigration services assistance to foreign countries education programmes health research and support for minorityowned businesses according to multiple media reportsThe administration is using a disputed budget mechanism known as a ldquopocket rescissionrdquo Under that approach the White House submits a request to cancel money so close to the end of the fiscal year that Congress cannot complete its legally provided review period before the funds expirePolitico reported that Trump informed congressional leaders of the decision on Friday CQ Roll Call placed the funding affected in health education and other programmes at 810 million while Politico said the overall cancellation approached 1 billionThe move comes days before the federal fiscal year ends on September 30The administration described the action as a measure to eliminate wasteful spending CQ Roll Call quoted it as calling the decision ldquohistoric action to eliminate wasteful and harmful spendingrdquoLeading congressional appropriators from both parties objected to the decision They argued that the administration deliberately delayed spending money authorised by Congress and then attempted to cancel it without receiving legislative approvalSenator Susan Collins of Maine the Senatersquos senior Republican appropriator called the move unlawfulldquoAny effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the lawrdquo Collins said in a statementldquoThis 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 lawrdquo she addedCollins said she would work with other lawmakers ldquoto address these illegal actionsrdquoThe latest cancellation is expected to intensify tensions between the White House and Congress over control of federal spending The US Constitution gives Congress authority over appropriations while the executive branch is responsible for implementing spending lawsUnder existing law a president may ask Congress to rescind or cancel previously authorised funds The administration may withhold that money for 45 days while Congress considers the requestCongress can approve the cancellation reject it or take no action If lawmakers do not approve the request within the permitted period the administration is generally expected to release the moneyThe latest step could also complicate negotiations over government funding Lawmakers from both parties have been asking federal agencies to account for money that remains unspent as the September 30 deadline approachesTrump used the same disputed procedure last year to cancel 49 billion in foreign assistance without receiving congressional approval That action also drew objections from Democratic and Republican lawmakers concerned about Congressrsquo constitutional spending authorityThe modern rescission process was established under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 The law was adopted after disputes over a presidentrsquos ability to refuse to spend money that Congress had appropriatedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever