President Trump is again trying to yank back money Congress already signed off on, and this time the target tops $800 million. In a Friday evening notice, the White House said it's using the Impoundment Control Act to pursue a "pocket rescission" affecting funds at multiple agencies, including Health and Human Services, as well as the departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice, per ABC News. A large chunk—about $567 million—comes from HHS programs that the administration characterizes as supporting "pro-illegal immigration" groups and programs aiding refugees, asylum-seekers, and other noncitizens.
"President Trump is committed to utilizing all possible tools to cut wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens," the White House said in a statement, per Reuters. The maneuver mirrors a 2025 effort to pull back foreign aid dollars that the Supreme Court allowed to proceed on a temporary basis, while stressing it wasn't ruling on whether the approach is legal, per ABC.
That question is now front and center on Capitol Hill. Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican who leads the Senate Appropriations Committee, accused the White House on X of trying to sidestep Congress' spending power, citing the Government Accountability Office's finding that pocket rescissions aren't permitted under the law. Collins said Congress got the $810 million package "without warning" and accused the budget office of sitting on the money for months to enable an "unlawful cancellation."
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