Trump Cancels $810M in Congressionally Approved Spending
President Trump uses rare budget tool to cancel over $800 million in approved aid and education programs.
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President Donald Trump has invoked a rare budgetary authority to cancel nearly $810 million in funds that Congress had approved for refugee aid, migrant education, and diversity programs. The White House announced the move late Friday, utilizing a tool known as a ‘pocket rescission,’ according to CBS News. This action marks a significant shift in the administration’s approach to managing federal spending.
Targeting Key Programs
The largest portion of the cuts, $567 million, was directed at Health and Human Services (HHS) accounts that funded nonprofit organizations serving refugees and asylees. The administration argued that the funds are no longer necessary due to a sharp decline in illegal border crossings under Trump’s border policies. Officials labeled the spending as wasteful and harmful to taxpayers.
The cuts also affected $70 million allocated for programs the administration referred to as ‘Woke International Education,’ $56 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counseling grants, and $25 million in migrant student education, which previously funded an LGBT youth summit and ‘Therapy for Latinx’ workshops.
Reactions from Lawmakers
The move drew strong criticism from Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. She condemned the administration’s actions as an effort to ‘undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse,’ noting that lawmakers received no prior warning. Collins also cited the Government Accountability Office, which has found that pocket rescissions violate the Impoundment Control Act.
Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut accused the administration of stealing money owed to communities. The White House filed the request just days before the fiscal year closes on September 30, leaving Congress with limited time to respond. The House will remain out of session through the November election, further complicating the legislative response.
Legal and Historical Context
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought defended the move, asserting that the Impoundment Control Act does not bar a president from canceling funds late in the fiscal year. This is not the first time Trump has used this tool; in 2025, he withheld $4.9 billion in foreign aid, the first pocket rescission in nearly five decades. The Supreme Court allowed that cancellation to stand while declining to rule on its legality.
These actions have sparked broader debates about executive power and the role of Congress in budgetary decisions. As the administration continues to reshape federal spending, the implications for policy and governance remain a focal point of political discourse.
Source: Daily Caller
