The vast majority of the cuts, totaling approximately $567 million, target Health and Human Services programs that provided funding to non-government organizations supporting refugees, asylees, and other non-citizens. The White House is also seeking to rescind $25 million for education programs for migrant students, claiming these programs supported activities such as an “LGBT youth summit” and “Therapy for Latinx workshops.” Additionally, $70 million in funding for programs labeled “Woke International Education” was selected for cuts. The administration stated this funding supports bringing foreign students and faculty to the United States and, in some cases, has funded doctoral dissertations on “queer and trans community building in foreign countries.”
Other programs receiving cuts include a Justice Department office focused on reducing racial tensions, a business development initiative for minority entrepreneurs, and Housing and Urban Development Department counseling services. The White House also identified a series of Health and Human Services grants as “outright harmful and blatantly ideological.” The announcement noted that several of the organizations affected are led by former officials from the administration of President Barack Obama.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, condemned the cuts, calling it “the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse.” Collins argued the timing of the rescission was intentional, proposing to cancel the funding near the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. She stated that if the money remains unspent until that date, it expires before Congress’ 45-day review period can be completed. Furthermore, the House of Representatives will be out of session through the November election, making it difficult for Congress to respond. “The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act,” Collins said in a statement. “I will work with my colleagues to address these illegal actions.”
The Office of Management and Budget under President Trump has argued that the Impoundment Control Act does not explicitly forbid the president from rescinding funds near the end of a fiscal year, according to a summary from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). OMB Director Russ Vought has repeatedly maintained this position. However, the same CRS summary noted that the GAO has likened pocket rescissions to a line-item veto, a power the Supreme Court previously ruled unconstitutional because it allows a president to strike portions of legislation without congressional approval.
This is not the first time the administration has utilized this mechanism. A year ago, President Trump issued the first pocket rescission in nearly 50 years, seeking to cancel $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. The Supreme Court declined to block that move, citing the president’s authority over foreign affairs, while allowing litigation to continue. The last pocket rescission prior to this current administration took place under former President Jimmy Carter, who proposed the action well before the 45-day congressional review deadline.
