What Supreme Court Said About Rare Power Trump Uses To Defy Congress
Summary
President Donald Trump used a legal method called a "pocket rescission" to block $810 million in government spending approved by Congress. This tactic temporarily stops funds from being spent without Congress's approval if the money cannot be spent before the fiscal year ends. The Supreme Court recently allowed this practice to continue in a related case about blocking $4 billion in foreign aid.Key Facts
- President Trump cut $810 million in spending related to minority groups, immigrants, and research using a "pocket rescission."
- A pocket rescission temporarily blocks spending when Congress does not have time to respond before the fiscal year ends.
- This power comes from the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which allows the president to request Congress to reconsider spending decisions.
- The House of Representatives will likely not have time to overturn the blocked spending before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
- Critics argue this method gives the president too much control over spending, which is normally Congress’s job under the Constitution.
- The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to block $4 billion in foreign aid spending last year using the same tactic.
- The Court’s decision was a 6-3 vote along conservative-liberal lines and did not fully decide if the tactic is legal.
- The Court said the harm to the executive’s foreign affairs powers outweighed the harm caused by blocking the funds.
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