White House Rescinds Over $800 Million in Funds as Susan Collins Calls Move a “Clear Violation” of Law
White House Moves to Rescind Congress-Approved Funds
The White House has moved to rescind more than $800 million in federal funds that were approved by Congress, triggering a new dispute over presidential spending authority.
The action was announced Friday, September 25, as the federal fiscal year approaches its September 30 deadline. The administration is using a rarely used budget procedure known as a “pocket rescission.”
The White House said President Donald Trump is using authority under the Impoundment Control Act to cancel funding for programs the administration considers wasteful or harmful.
According to the White House, the rescissions involve several federal agencies and programs, including immigration services, education, housing, minority business development and health research.
Susan Collins Challenges the Decision
The move has drawn criticism from Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Collins said lawmakers were informed about roughly $810 million in pocket rescissions without warning or consultation. She argued that the executive branch cannot cancel spending that Congress has already approved without congressional approval.
“Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law,” Collins said.
She also accused the Office of Management and Budget of undermining Congress’ constitutional authority over federal spending.
Collins’ criticism is significant because she is a member of Trump’s Republican Party and leads the Senate committee responsible for overseeing federal appropriations.
What Is a Pocket Rescission?
A pocket rescission is a mechanism through which the president asks Congress to cancel previously approved spending near the end of a fiscal year.
The process has become controversial because Congress normally has 45 days to consider a rescission request. Critics argue that announcing the cuts only days before the fiscal year ends can leave lawmakers with too little time to exercise that authority.
The Government Accountability Office has previously questioned the legality of using a pocket rescission in this manner.
The White House, however, argues that the administration is acting within presidential authority provided by the Impoundment Control Act.
Programs Targeted by the Rescissions
The largest portion of the announced cuts involves the Department of Health and Human Services.
The White House identified about $567 million in HHS funding connected to services for refugees, asylum seekers and other noncitizens. It also identified funding involving education programs for migrant students, the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service and minority business development initiatives.
Other funding includes housing counseling and health research programs.
The administration argues that the targeted programs are no longer necessary or do not provide sufficient benefits to American taxpayers. Critics in Congress dispute that assessment and say the spending was already authorized through legislation.
Dispute Over Congressional Power
The latest move has renewed a broader debate over the constitutional balance between Congress and the White House.
Congress controls federal appropriations, while the executive branch is responsible for carrying out spending laws. The dispute centers on whether the president can effectively cancel appropriated funds through the pocket-rescission process when Congress has not approved the cancellation.
The administration used a similar approach in 2025 to withhold billions of dollars in foreign aid. The Supreme Court allowed that action to proceed while litigation continued, but it did not issue a final ruling on the broader merits of the rescission issue.
The latest action is therefore likely to keep the question of presidential spending authority and Congress’ power of the purse at the center of the legal and political debate.
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