This week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) discussed what seems to be a pocket rescission proposed by President Trump’s Budget Office. This controversial move, aimed at reducing spending, is deemed illegal and could disrupt the administration’s plans.
The notion of a pocket rescission involves the President requesting Congress to cancel funds already approved, particularly towards the end of a session. Congress has a 45-day period to either approve or reject these requests, but the timing of such a withdrawal could bypass that clock.
Democrats are hoping that Russell, the Budget Director, will initiate this issue before the funding deadline so that the government might reduce the allocated funds without needing Congressional approval.
However, the GAO pointed out on its website this week, referring to a 2018 ruling.
The agency mentioned that the Water Storage Control Act does not give the president the authority to override Congressional funding decisions.
With this pocket withdrawal, the argument from the President suggests that Congress could approve the request and sidestep funding expenditures, inherently challenging Congressional authority.
“If Congress wanted the President to have that power, the law would need to be changed,” the agency stressed.
The GAO reinforced its stance by citing legal analyses from 2018.
Interestingly, even some Republicans who had initially supported Trump’s funding requests are now against the use of pocket rescissions to retract funds already distributed by Congress.
“I think pocket rescissions are unconstitutional,” asserted Sen. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. “It’s just not right,” he added.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sought guarantees from Trump over the weekend that he wouldn’t pursue this pocket withdrawal during their negotiations, but Trump rejected Schumer’s request outright, telling New York Democrats to “go to hell.”
