A disagreement arose on Thursday between key members of Congress and President Donald Trump, posing a threat to negotiations on federal spending priorities. This clash occurs as Trump moves to dismantle federal agencies and dismiss tens of thousands of workers. The dispute centers around nearly $3 billion that Trump is refusing to spend, a small portion of the recently approved spending bill which funded the government until Sept. 30. The core issue is whether Trump or lawmakers have the authority to determine government spending levels. Lawmakers argue that the Constitution delegates this responsibility to them, while Trump and his supporters maintain that Congress sets limits and he can spend below the provided amounts.
Trump notified Congress on Monday that he would not use nearly $3 billion from a June 2023 emergency spending agreement. The recently approved spending bill maintained the funding levels negotiated in the previous Congress before Trump’s presidency. Trump stated that the funds were not meant for genuine emergency needs and thus refused to spend them. However, the heads of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees warned that Trump’s decision could jeopardize over $12 billion in emergency funding, including provisions for rental assistance, food and medicine aid, military support, NASA, and drug trafficking prevention.
Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray emphasized that Trump must either veto the entire bill or utilize the allocated funds as provided, as he does not possess a line-item veto power. They expressed concern that the dispute could complicate future spending negotiations and hinder the collaborative process between the Appropriations Committee and the Administration. Trump’s actions have brought scrutiny from Congress, with the potential for challenges to his agency dismantling and workforce reduction decisions. This disagreement could impact the approval of spending bills for the coming fiscal year, starting on Oct. 1.
