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> Impoundment is an act by a President of the United States of not spending money that has been appropriated by the U.S. Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the firs

> Impoundment is an act by a President of the United States of not spending money that has been appropriated by the U.S. Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to exercise the power of impoundment in 1801. The power was available to all presidents up to and including Richard Nixon, and was regarded as a power inherent to the office, although one with limits. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 was passed in response to the abuse of power under President Nixon.[1] The Act removed that power, and Train v. City of New York (whose facts predate the 1974 Act, but which was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court after its passage), closed potential loopholes in the 1974 Act. The president's ability to indefinitely reject congressionally approved spending was thus removed. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impoundment_of_appropriated_funds https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impoundment_of_appropriated_...

rayiner 2y ago
The Impoundment Act doesn’t require the president to make any specific grant unless Congress specifically says so. The Act says the president needs to seek recession: “Whenever the President determines that all or part of any budget authority will not be required to carry out the full objectives or scope of programs for which it is provided.” Congress typically provides for these “programs” to be quite broad with a big bucket of funding. The president can’t just shut down a program and refuse to spend the money without seeking rescission, but nothing stops the president from canceling specific grants that the executive decides to make out of some larger program.
- unsnap_biceps 2y ago
  I understand your overall point, however, it's unclear what exactly is being canceled, so we don't know if it was specifically directed by congress or not (though I admit, in this case, it's likely not), nor is it clear that Trump ordered it, or is approving after the fact, or even knows about it at all. We can agree to disagree, but I do feel that this wasn't done via the legal methods proscribed by the laws, however, it's difficult to point to exactly what that is, given I'm not a lawyer, and it's just my personal opinion.
  - selimthegrim 2y ago
    Prescribed by

rayiner 2y ago

The Impoundment Act doesn’t require the president to make any specific grant unless Congress specifically says so. The Act says the president needs to seek recession: “Whenever the President determines that all or part of any budget authority will not be required to carry out the full objectives or scope of programs for which it is provided.” Congress typically provides for these “programs” to be quite broad with a big bucket of funding. The president can’t just shut down a program and refuse to spend the money without seeking rescission, but nothing stops the president from canceling specific grants that the executive decides to make out of some larger program.

unsnap_biceps 2y ago
I understand your overall point, however, it's unclear what exactly is being canceled, so we don't know if it was specifically directed by congress or not (though I admit, in this case, it's likely not), nor is it clear that Trump ordered it, or is approving after the fact, or even knows about it at all. We can agree to disagree, but I do feel that this wasn't done via the legal methods proscribed by the laws, however, it's difficult to point to exactly what that is, given I'm not a lawyer, and it's just my personal opinion.
- selimthegrim 2y ago
  Prescribed by