White House Moves to Rescind $800 Million in Congress-Approved Funds as Senator Collins Challenges Legality
The White House is moving to withhold more than $800 million in federal spending that Congress had already approved, setting up another major dispute between the Trump administration and lawmakers over the federal government’s power of the purse.
The administration announced Friday that it would use a rarely deployed budget maneuver known as a “pocket rescission” to cancel funding across several government programs. The White House says the money supports programs it considers wasteful or harmful and argues the president has authority under the Impoundment Control Act to take the action.
The funding reportedly includes money connected to refugee assistance, racial-minority business development, education and overseas conservation programs. The White House has defended the cuts as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to reduce spending that does not align with his administration’s priorities.
However, the move immediately drew criticism from lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Collins argued that the administration cannot rescind funds that Congress has appropriated without congressional approval, calling the move a “clear violation of the law.”
The dispute could lead to another legal battle over the limits of presidential spending authority. The Supreme Court previously allowed the administration to proceed with a similar 2025 effort involving billions in foreign aid while litigation continued, but that decision did not resolve every underlying legal question surrounding the tactic.
The latest action puts the White House and Congress at odds once again over who ultimately controls federal spending—and whether the president can cancel money that lawmakers have already approved.
