“I love Susan like a taco, but she's wrong. First, Congress didn't approve this stuff. … I'm glad that Russ Vought's doing it.
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Five Days Before the Fiscal Year Ends and With the House Gone Until After the Midterms, Russ Vought Sends Congress an $810 Million "Pocket Rescission" — the Republican Chair of Senate Appropriations, Susan Collins, Calls It "a Clear Violation of the Law," Patty Murray Calls It "Theft From the American People," and the White House Says Trump Will Use "All Possible Tools"
September 26, 2026
On the night of Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget sent Congress a roughly $810 million package of "pocket rescissions" — a request to cancel bipartisan, already-enacted appropriations timed so close to the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year that the money expires before Congress can act on it. The House is out of session until after the November midterms. About $567 million of the package targets Health and Human Services programs serving refugees, asylees and other noncitizens; the rest hits migrant education, international education, a Justice Department community-relations office, minority business development, HUD counseling and HHS research grants. The Government Accountability Office has concluded pocket rescissions are not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act. OMB Director Russ Vought argues the law does not forbid them, and the administration used the same maneuver on foreign aid in 2025. The White House said "President Trump is committed to utilizing all possible tools to cut wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens." Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, a Republican, called the move unlawful and said OMB "does not get to decide which programs are worth funding"; Democratic appropriations and budget leaders called it theft and an illegal line-item veto.
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“With this rescissions package, the Trump administration is illegally stripping nearly $1 billion in critical funding that supports kids, K-12 students, small businesses, and health and clean air research. … Trump is gleefully eviscerating programs and protections that help hardworking American families live a safe and healthy life, all while he continues to punish them with skyrocketing gas and grocery prices.
“This is theft from the American people, plain and simple. These are funds Congress has delivered on a bipartisan basis and should be helping people—not cut off by a president more focused on building a ballroom than investing in families. … Russ Vought's message to Congress is that your votes don't count, and your laws are optional.
“Donald Trump knows he can't get these cuts through Congress, so he is illegally making them through the back door. … Trump's actions are a blatant attack on Congress' constitutional power of the purse.
“Without warning or consultation, Congress just received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the Administration. This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse. … 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. … OMB is an agency of the executive branch. It does not get to decide which programs are worth funding. … I will work with my colleagues to address these illegal actions.
“Once again, President Trump and Russ Vought have violated the law by sending Congress more illegal pocket rescissions in the dark of night.
“Senate Republicans had chance after chance to stop Trump's illegal seizure of taxpayer money. Time after time, they pledged allegiance to Trump instead of to citizens. And he'll keep rolling them if the Senate doesn't change hands.
“[Trump and Russ Vought are] once again trying to steal more money promised to communities across the country.