The Trump administration is moving to cancel nearly $1 billion in government spending that Congress previously approved. This is triggering a new dispute over presidential authority and Congress's constitutional power over federal appropriations. The White House announced the proposed rescission Sept. 25, targeting programs involving immigrant services, migrant students, minority businesses, housing counseling, international education and other initiatives.

The action relies on a rarely used mechanism commonly referred to as a “pocket rescission.” The administration argues that the funds targeted for cancellation are no longer necessary or should not continue to be spent. Critics in both parties, however, have questioned whether the executive branch can withhold appropriated money in a way that effectively prevents Congress from exercising its spending authority.

Trump Administration Targets Domestic Programs

According to the Associated Press, most of the proposed reductions involve Health and Human Services programs serving refugees and unaccompanied minors. The administration argues that substantially lower levels of illegal border crossings have changed the need for some of those programs.

Other targeted funding includes a Department of Education program serving migrant students, a Department of Justice office focused on reducing racial tensions, minority-business development initiatives and housing counseling programs administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The White House also identified $70 million for international education programs, $28 million in Health and Human Services grant funding and $9 million in debt relief for foreign countries associated with climate-change policies. Another $10 million was targeted from a minority business development program.

The Office of Management and Budget described the targeted money as among what it considers the most harmful government spending.

Congress Challenges Government Spending Freeze

The dispute centers on the Constitution's allocation of federal spending authority.

Congress passes appropriations legislation that authorizes federal agencies to spend taxpayer money for specified purposes. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 established procedures governing presidential efforts to rescind or withhold money Congress has appropriated.

Under the law, a president can send Congress a special message proposing rescissions. The Congressional Research Service explains that funds can generally be withheld during the congressional consideration period, but must be made available unless Congress completes action approving the rescission.

That process has become particularly important in the latest dispute because the administration submitted its special message near the end of the fiscal year.

Government Accountability Office Raises Legal Objections

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a significant determination Sept. 29 concerning Trump's latest rescission proposal.

GAO said the president's Sept. 25 special message proposed a retraction of 11 appropriation accounts. The agency concluded that the Impoundment Control Act does not allow the administration to withhold the appropriated funds beyond the end of fiscal year 2026.

GAO noted that the congressional consideration period would not end until at least Nov. 9, 2026, while the affected appropriations expire at the end of fiscal year 2026. According to GAO, the law requires the funds to remain available unless Congress actually completes legislation rescinding them.

GAO emphasized that its determination was about compliance with the law and congressional authority rather than the merits of the programs being targeted.

That distinction is important. The agency did not determine whether the individual programs represent worthwhile government spending. Instead, it addressed whether the administration could use the statutory rescission process to prevent Congress-approved funds from being spent after the appropriations expire.

Susan Collins Questions Executive Authority

The move has also generated criticism from Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Collins said the administration acted without the consultation she expected and argued that the executive branch cannot independently determine which congressionally approved programs deserve funding.

She characterized the action as an attempt to undermine Congress's constitutional “power of the purse.”

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, also criticized the move, arguing that Congress had previously approved the money and that the administration should not be able to unilaterally prevent its expenditure.

The sharply different political arguments illustrate how the dispute over government spending has developed into a broader constitutional question involving the separation of powers.

Pocket Rescission Has a Complicated History

The current controversy follows earlier efforts by the Trump administration to expand presidential control over federal spending.

The Impoundment Control Act was enacted in 1974 after conflicts over presidential attempts to withhold appropriated funds. The statute established a formal process requiring presidents seeking permanent rescissions to submit proposals to Congress.

The term “pocket rescission” refers to a strategy in which a president proposes cancelling funds so close to their expiration date that Congress may not have enough time to complete the required legislative process before the money expires.

The GAO has previously stated that such an approach is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act. In a 2025 explanation, the agency said Congress's appropriations power means a president cannot simply shorten the period during which Congress-authorized funds are available by waiting until the end of the fiscal year.

The administration's current position and GAO's latest conclusion therefore set up another potential legal confrontation over the limits of presidential spending authority.

The 2025 Precedent

The latest dispute also follows the administration's use of rescission authority in 2025.

According to Congressional Research Service analysis, Trump transmitted a 2025 rescission proposal seeking cancellation of $9.4 billion in unobligated balances. Congress ultimately enacted legislation cancelling approximately $9 billion of that amount.

That episode differed from the current dispute because Congress ultimately enacted legislation approving most of the proposed reductions.

The 2026 controversy instead centers on whether the executive branch can withhold funds while Congress has not completed the legislative process required to permanently cancel them.

What Happens Next

The dispute could ultimately require further action from Congress or the courts.

For Congress, the central issue is whether lawmakers will allow the proposed rescissions to proceed through the statutory process or seek to protect the appropriations they previously enacted.

For the administration, the issue is whether its interpretation of presidential authority can withstand the objections raised by GAO and potentially other legal challenges.

The outcome could have implications beyond the nearly $1 billion involved in the current proposal because it may help define how future presidents and Congress interact over appropriated funds.

For now, the programs targeted by the administration remain at the center of an unresolved debate over federal priorities, executive authority and Congress's role in determining how government spending is allocated.

Related Links 

More information is available in the Government Accountability Office's latest analysis of the Sept. 25 rescission proposal. Background information on the Impoundment Control Act is also detailed.

Recent USA Herald articles by Jackie Allen cover technology, science, national political, legal and public-interest developments, including the Trump administration and other major stories.

The related links are listed below, followed by recent USA Herald coverage by Jackie Allen.

• Government Accountability Office — Sept. 29, 2026 rescission decision
• GAO — What Is a “Pocket Rescission” and Is It Legal?
• Congressional Research Service — Impoundment Control Act of 1974
• Congressional Research Service — Pocket Rescissions and the Impoundment Control Act
• Associated Press — Trump administration uses rare authority to claw back nearly $1B

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