The White House announced Friday evening that it is rescinding over $800 million in congressionally appropriated funds across a range of government programs. President Donald Trump is invoking authority under the Impoundment Control Act to enact a pocket rescission, a maneuver he previously used in 2025 to claw back billions in foreign aid funds.

This action has immediately drawn sharp criticism from Republican Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins called the move an attempt to undermine Congress's constitutional power of the purse and a clear violation of the law, citing the Government Accountability Office's conclusion that pocket rescissions are unlawful.

The White House stated that the rescinded funds target programs across federal agencies including Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice. Specifically, $567 million allocated to HHS was targeted, with the administration alleging these funds went to programs supporting illegal immigration and non-governmental organizations providing services to refugees and non-citizens.

The legality of pocket rescissions, where the president requests Congress to cancel funds as the fiscal year nears its end, has been a point of contention. According to the Government Accountability Office, Congress must approve rescissions, but the limited timeframe for response or fund utilization can lead to the president effectively bypassing congressional authority.

In a previous instance in 2025, the Supreme Court allowed a similar rescission of foreign aid funds to proceed by staying a lower court order, though the Court noted this was not a final determination on the merits of the rescission itself.

Senator Collins explicitly stated on social media that the independent Government Accountability Office has concluded pocket rescissions are not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act. She emphasized that any attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval constitutes a clear violation of the law.

The White House's Office of Management and Budget reportedly submitted the rescission package to Congress, totaling $810 million. The administration's justifications for the rescissions, as outlined in their statement, focus on alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars and support for undocumented immigrants.

This action reignites debates over executive authority in managing appropriated funds and the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches regarding government spending. The specific details of which programs within the targeted departments are affected and the precise justification for each rescission remain a focus of scrutiny.