Trump Seeks to Rescind $810 Million in Federal Funding

President Donald Trump sent Congress a request to rescind $810 million in previously approved federal funding, targeting 11 pools of money across seven departments and agencies. The proposed cuts include $567 million in Health and Human Services funding for services to refugees, asylees, unaccompanied children and other noncitizens, the largest reduction in the package. The notice, sent Friday, September 25, comes five days before the fiscal year ends on September 30. The administration is using a procedure known as a pocket rescission, which asks Congress to cancel appropriated funds so close to the end of the fiscal year that lawmakers may not have the full statutory period to consider the request before the money expires. The White House says the HHS funding is no longer needed, citing a sharp reduction in unauthorized border crossings. It has also characterized other targeted spending as wasteful or inconsistent with the administration’s priorities. The package reaches programs involving migrant students, housing counseling, foreign academics and students, minority-owned businesses, legal services and research, among other areas.