The Trump administration says the funds target programmes across several agencies, while the move has prompted objections from lawmakers over presidential authority to cancel congressional appropriations.
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| White House moves to rescind more than $800 million in congressional funds. |
The White House has announced plans to rescind more than $800 million in congressionally appropriated funds across a range of US government programmes, setting up a fresh dispute over executive authority and Congress's control of federal spending.
The administration said President Donald Trump was invoking the Impoundment Control Act to carry out what is known as a “pocket rescission.” The package reportedly totals about $810 million and comes near the end of the US fiscal year.
The affected programmes span several federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Justice. The White House said the funds included programmes it considers inconsistent with its priorities.
About $567 million of the funds involve programmes under the Department of Health and Human Services. The administration has alleged that some of the money supported organisations providing services to refugees, asylum seekers and other non-citizens. Those are the administration's stated allegations and have not been independently established as findings of wrongdoing.
The decision has drawn criticism from Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins argued that cancelling appropriations without congressional approval would undermine Congress's constitutional authority over federal spending and described the action as unlawful.
The dispute centres partly on the legal status of “pocket rescissions.” The Government Accountability Office has said that Congress must approve rescissions, while the Trump administration is relying on its interpretation of the Impoundment Control Act. The Supreme Court previously allowed a similar 2025 rescission to proceed while making clear that its order was not a final ruling on the underlying legal question.
The latest action is therefore expected to face further scrutiny from Congress and potentially the courts as lawmakers and the administration continue to contest the limits of presidential authority over funds approved by Congress.