It so happens that after Congress/Senate passed the Omnibus Bill
(H.R. 1625), and the President signed it, the President can ask Congress to
rescind specific spending items.
Congress can approve the rescission request
with a simple majority vote of each chamber. No BS or Filibusters allowed. No
cloture votes of 60 senators needed. This is authorized under the Impoundment
Act of 1974. It’s rarely been used, and in its entire history Congress has only
rescinded a meager $25 billion using it. But that could change:
Title X of the Act, also known as the Impoundment Control Act
of 1974, specifies that the President may request that Congress rescind
appropriated funds. If both the Senate and the House of Representatives have
not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of
continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for
obligation. Congress is not required to vote on the request, and has ignored
most Presidential requests.[4] In
response, some have called for a line item veto to
strengthen the rescission power and force Congress to vote on the disputed
funds.
The Act was passed in response to feelings in Congress that
President Nixon was abusing his power of impoundment by
withholding funding of programs he opposed. The Act, especially after Train v. City of New York (1975),
effectively removed the presidential power of impoundment.
The 1974 Impoundment Act, which allows the president
to order the rescission of specific funds, so long as Congress approves those
cuts within 45 days. The act hasn’t seen a lot of use in recent decades. Barack
Obama never used it he liked spending too much. George W. Bush never sent any
formal rescission proposals to Congress—he took the position that presidents
ought to have a fuller line-item veto power. Ronald Reagan used rescission
where he could and holds the title for most proposals.
Check
out what Republicans can do with control of the White House and both chambers
gives them an unusual opportunity to show they are in the majority and cut big. Under the Impoundment Act, a simple majority is enough to
approve presidential rescissions—no filibuster. It’s their chance to take a saber
to the billions which exceeded the 2011 domestic-spending caps—
Cut
everything from Border security for Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt,
and Tunisia, Funds Illegal Alien Resettlement, Tax Credits for Illegal Aliens, Planned
Parenthood,$1m for the Cultural Antiquities Task Force,$6.25m for the
Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation,$20m for Countering Foreign State
Propaganda,$12m for Countering State Disinformation and Pressure, $1.371bn for
Contributions to International Organizations, $51m to promote International
Family Planning and Reproductive Health, $7m promoting International
Conservation,$10m for UN Environmental Programs,$1m for the World
Meteorological Organization, $218m for Promoting Democracy Development in
Europe, $25m for International Religious Freedom, $10m for disadvantaged
Egyptian Students, $12m for Scholarships
for Lebanon, $20m for Middle East Partnership Initiative Scholarship Program,$12m
in military funding for Vietnam $3.5m in nutrition assistance to Laos$15m in
Developmental assistance to China,$10m for Women LEOs in Afghanistan,$9 billion for Government Services Admin that oversees
federal properties Fed government spends $1.7 billion a year to maintain 770,000 empty
buildings while continuing to buy new properties. Sanctuary Cities, Mideast
Immigration Programs, Omnibus Funds Illegal Alien Resettlement, from carbon-capture technology to pecan producers to the Gateway Tunnel
Project to the Environmental Protection Agency.
It would best serve the Republicans for House Speaker Paul Ryan and
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to request Mr. Trump go the impoundment
route, however that’s not likely to happen since both to everything they can
subvert or stall his agenda. The other option would be for the White House and
congressional leaders to make a joint announcement.
