President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the cancellation of $810 million in congressionally appropriated funding through a rare move known as a "pocket rescission." This action eliminates 11 pools of unspent money across seven federal departments and agencies. The funding cuts primarily target services for immigrants, including nonprofits aiding refugees and unaccompanied minors, and various race-focused programs. The White House, via the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), justified these cuts by labeling them as "the most harmful government spending" and stated that funds for immigrant services were no longer necessary due to a decrease in illegal border crossings.
This marks the second time the Trump administration has employed a pocket rescission, and only the second such instance in 49 years, following a $4.9 billion foreign aid cut a year prior. The maneuver is highly controversial, as it allows the President to unilaterally block spending with little time for congressional review, especially when enacted with just five days remaining in the federal fiscal year. The Government Accountability Office considers this tactic illegal.
The action drew immediate and sharp condemnation from lawmakers, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins stated the cuts were made without warning or consultation and called them "illegal actions" and a "usurpation of Congress’s appropriations powers." She vowed to work with colleagues to address what she termed the OMB's latest attempt to "undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse." Critics argue this move is part of a broader pattern by the Trump administration to expand executive control and diminish congressional authority, including actions like firing federal workers and initiating foreign conflicts without congressional approval.
