By Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump has moved to unilaterally cancel $4.9 billion in federal funding approved by Congress, escalating the battle over who controls the nation’s spending.
In a letter posted online late Thursday, Trump informed House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that he plans to withhold funding for 15 worldwide applications, including some overseen by the State Department, the Agency for International Development (USAID).
The U.S. Constitution grants funding energy to Congress, which every 12 months has to go laws to fund authorities operations.
The White House must secure Congress’ approval if it does not need to spend that money. Congress did this in July when it canceled $9 billion in overseas help and public media funding.
Trump price range director Russell Vought has argued that Trump does not need Congress’ approval and can withhold funds for 45 days, which would run out the clock until the funding expires at the finish of the fiscal 12 months on Sept. 30. Project Democracy, a nonpartisan advocacy group, says the tactic has not been used since 1983.
Democrats say the administration had frozen more than $425 billion in funding, which some Republicans say is unlawful.
“The power of the purse rests with us and we have to take that seriously,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, said in a July interview.
But other Republicans, like Johnson, have said they support spending cuts in any type.
It is unclear if more Republicans will object.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson; modifying by Andy Sullivan and Franklin Paul)
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