The White House announced $810 million in funding cancellations Friday evening.
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, have been reviewing their options after the White House announced on Friday evening the cancellation of $810 million in funding for health, education, and other federal programs. They are considering a ban of “pocket rescissions“ that halt the payment of funding appropriated by Congress before the end of the fiscal year. Federal law requires 45 days for Congress to address a president’s request to rescind funding before the end of the fiscal year. The House of Representatives already recessed last week.
“This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse,” stated Senator Susan Collins, who called the action illegal. “OMB is an agency of the executive branch. It does not get to decide which programs are worth funding.”
In announcing the rescissions, the White House stated that President Trump “is committed to utilizing all possible tools to cut wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens.”
The president’s administration reported that the largest portion of the rescissions, $567 million for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement programs, was no longer needed because of how few migrants have illegally crossed the U.S. southern border. Some other rescissions were also related to programs for migrant or foreign students.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For congressional appropriators as they evaluate their options regarding the “power of the purse” and separation of powers.
- For the president and members of his administration as they seek to rescind what they deem unnecessary federal funding.
Sources: RollCall, NPR, Washington Examiner
