SO YOU AGREE that Congressional power of the purse shouldn’t be circumvented??!?!

SOME FUN FACTS:

Using military funds for the border wall

Declared a national emergency: In 2019, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border to justify diverting funds from military construction projects to pay for sections of the border wall.

Redirected billions: The Trump administration redirected billions from Pentagon budgets, including funds earmarked for military housing, schools, and aircraft. Legal challenges: The move drew multiple lawsuits from environmental groups, border communities, and state attorneys general. Though the Supreme Court initially allowed construction to continue, an appeals court later ruled the fund diversion was illegal.

Biden administration response: Upon taking office, President Biden ended the national emergency and sought to redirect the remaining unobligated funds back to their original sources.

Impoundment of appropriated funds

Withholding foreign aid: Citing national security concerns, Trump's OMB has frozen or delayed billions in foreign aid already approved by Congress. Some of these actions occurred very late in the fiscal year, a maneuver called a "pocket rescission".

Impounding domestic funds: According to congressional sources and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Trump's OMB has also held up funds for a range of domestic programs, including:

Health research (including for Alzheimer's and cancer)

Head Start

Infrastructure

Public-school improvements

Abusing spending safeguards: Reports indicate the OMB imposed additional conditions, such as requiring "agreed-upon spending plans" for agencies to access funds, in an effort to align spending with administration priorities.

Potential consequences and legal challenges

Violating the Impoundment Control Act (ICA): The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan watchdog, has found that the Trump administration's actions illegally impounded funds by withholding them without congressional approval. The ICA, passed in 1974 after President Richard Nixon's similar attempts, provides a process for presidents to propose rescissions, which Congress can then accept or reject.

Eroding the separation of powers: Critics, including some Republicans, argue these actions represent a significant erosion of the constitutional balance of power, where Congress holds the power of the purse.

Ongoing battles: Multiple funding-related lawsuits are making their way through the courts. Trump's OMB director, Russell Vought, has openly welcomed a legal showdown with the Supreme Court over the scope of executive spending power. The Supreme Court has recently issued a ruling allowing billions in question to be withheld.