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GAO Says Trump Pocket Rescission Illegally Cuts $1B

By Drooid · Sep 26, 2026, 4:21 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump used a pocket rescission to cancel nearly $1 billion of Congress-approved spending.
The cuts include $567 million for refugee, asylee and migrant services at Health and Human Services.
The administration also rescinds $50 million for other immigrant aid, $70 million for “Woke International Education” grants, and $56 million for HUD programs.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called the rescissions illegal.
The Government Accountability Office says pocket rescissions violate the Impoundment Control Act.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed the Impoundment Control Act in 1974 after President Nixon’s extensive fund withholdings, ending presidents’ unilateral impoundment power. The statute obliges the president to obtain a joint congressional vote within 45 days for any rescission; GAO later flagged Clinton’s 1995 cuts as unlawful. In 2024 Trump’s pocket rescission of nearly $1 billion, including $567 million for refugee aid, revives the same constitutional dispute.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump used a pocket rescission to cancel nearly $1 billion of Congress-approved spending.
The cuts include $567 million for refugee, asylee and migrant services at Health and Human Services.
The administration also rescinds $50 million for other immigrant aid, $70 million for “Woke International Education” grants, and $56 million for HUD programs.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called the rescissions illegal.
The Government Accountability Office says pocket rescissions violate the Impoundment Control Act.

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