White House moves to block $810 million in funding through pocket rescission

September 27, 2026 at 12:21 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The White House announced plans to claw back $810 million in congressionally appropriated funding through a pocket rescission. The move drew immediate criticism from Sen. Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. The administration cited the Impoundment Control Act as its authority, even as the Government Accountability Office has stated the law does not permit such withholding.

Key Facts

The White House announced plans to block $810 million in congressionally appropriated funding through a pocket rescission.
The rescissions would block $567 million for Health and Human Services programs for refugees, asylees and other non-citizens, and $28 million for HHS research.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the move 'the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse.'
The Government Accountability Office has stated that the Impoundment Control Act does not permit withholding proposed rescissions through expiration if Congress has not approved them.

The Pocket Rescission

The White House announced the clawback on Friday evening, citing the Impoundment Control Act as the basis for its authority. A pocket rescission occurs when a president submits a request to Congress to block funding so close to the end of the fiscal year that the funds can expire before Congress receives the full 45-day consideration period under the law. A year ago, President Donald Trump's administration blocked $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid through a pocket rescission, marking the first time in roughly 50 years that the president has attempted to use that authority. The Government Accountability Office has stated the ICA doesn't permit withholding proposed rescissions through expiration if Congress has not approved them.

Lawmaker Criticism

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who chairs the Senate committee on appropriations, blasted the move in a statement posted on X. She wrote, 'This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse.' Collins added, 'The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act. Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.'

Targeted Programs

The rescissions would block $567 million appropriated for Health and Human Services programs for refugees, asylees and other non-citizens and $28 million for HHS research. Additional cuts target the Department of Education's special programs for immigrant students, among other programs.