The White House announced on Friday its intention to block $810 million in funding that Congress had previously approved, using a budget tactic known as a pocket rescission. This move has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who argued that the administration is encroaching on Congress’s constitutional authority over federal spending. The move follows a similar action last year when President Donald Trump’s administration withheld nearly $5 billion in foreign aid funding through the same mechanism.

A pocket rescission occurs when the president requests to rescind funding so near the end of the fiscal year that the funds can expire before Congress has the legally mandated 45-day period to consider the proposal. The White House cited the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) to justify the action; however, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has previously stated that the ICA does not permit funds to be withheld simply because Congress has not acted on a rescission request, thus casting doubt on the legality of the move.

The withheld funding primarily targets programs under the Department of Health and Human Services, including $567 million dedicated to refugee and asylee assistance, $28 million for health research, and several Department of Education initiatives supporting immigrant students. This decision has triggered concerns over the impact on vulnerable populations and the continued politicization of federal budget processes.

Senator Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, condemned the pocket rescission effort as unlawful and a breach of legislative authority. She emphasized that the GAO’s rulings make clear that any attempt to withhold appropriated funds without congressional consent violates statutory and constitutional law. Requests for further comment from both the White House and Senator Collins’s office were not immediately returned.