United States: The U.S. government led by President Donald Trump has refused approval of congressionally passed funding to the tune of at least $436.87 billion according to reports released by Democratic congressional appropriation committee leaders on Tuesday.
The frozen allotments involve every part of the federal government based on the first project analysis by Senator Patty Murray from Washington and Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut, as reported by Reuters.
State Department, Transportation, and Aid Programs Hit Hard
The State Department faces a freeze of $42 billion in funds together with $62 billion-plus in competitive transportation grants, and USAID support is suspended, according to the estimate.
The Democrats showed that funding worth $943 million from Head Start early education and more than $10 billion from the Natural Resources Conservation Service were frozen or terminated.
"Trump administration withholding $436.87 billion in approved spending, top Democrats say" – Reuters #SmartNews not legal! Impeachment worthy !!!! https://t.co/0OmFYaLP89
— MySageAdvice (@mysageadvice) April 29, 2025
Democrats Decry “Unprecedented Assault” on Spending Law
“Just 100 days into office, President Trump and Elon Musk are continuing their unprecedented assault on our nation’s spending laws, and it is families, small businesses, and communities in every part of the country who are paying the price,” Murray and DeLauro said in a statement.
“No American president has ever so flagrantly ignored our nation’s spending laws or so brazenly denied the American people investments they are owed.”
No Comment from White House or Musk
The White House together with Musk ignored all requests for statements.
The committees will publish these findings through a public tracking system that counts the lowest amounts of administrative changes the committees believe the administration is keeping frozen or resisting in judicial proceedings according to a committee official.
The Department of Government Efficiency initiated by Musk, combined with his termination of diversity initiatives, serves as justification for the administration to suspend legislatively approved budgets.
According to lawmakers the administration acts against the U.S. Constitution by declining to spend congressionally authorized funds because the Constitution gives Congress spending oversight power.
During his presidential campaign, Trump disputed the notion, while his present Office of Management and Budget director, Russ Vought, still maintains this position. When testing presidential control over budgetary cuts the U.S. Supreme Court established both times that the president has legal boundaries in this area, as reported by Reuters.
Legal and Constitutional Concerns Mount
Under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act Congress established a lawful procedure for executive branch modest spending changes through rescissions that need only minimal votes from lawmakers to enact.
No rescission requests were submitted to Congress by the administration for their consideration despite continuous requests from several Republican legislative members.