The GAO has issued an opinion stating the funding cancellations are not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act and subvert Congress's constitutional power of the purse. While OMB Director Russell Vought defended the move as a legal tool to dismantle the "border industrial complex," some Republicans expressed concern over the precedent. Senator Mike Rounds warned that bypassing congressional approval undermines bipartisan funding deals, specifically threatening budgets for military spending.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Ron Johnson Blocks Senate Vote to stop $810M in Trump Budget Cuts
US Politics20 days ago
A procedural maneuver by Republican Senator Ron Johnson prevented a Senate vote on a bill designed to stop the administration's unilateral cancellation of congressionally approved spending. The blocked vote leaves in place a series of "pocket rescissions" that eliminate $810 million in funding across seven federal agencies just before the Sept. 30 fiscal year end. The maneuver targets programs serving non-citizens, diversity initiatives, and foreign climate-related debt relief, with the largest cut being $567 million stripped from refugee and asylee services at Health and Human Services.
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