Trump cancels $810M in federal spending via pocket rescission move

The Trump administration announced Friday that it was canceling $810 million in congressionally approved spending for programs serving illegal immigrants, diversity initiatives and other efforts the administration argued do not benefit American citizens. To claw back the funds, President Donald Trump used a "pocket rescission," a budget maneuver the executive branch contends is within its authority but that Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) say exceeds the president's authority. The vast majority of the cuts, some $567 million, were aimed at Health and Human Services programs that provided funding to non-government organizations supporting refugees, asylees and other noncitizens. The White House is also seeking to rescind $25 million for education programs for migrant students, claiming they supported things such as "an LGBT youth summit" and "Therapy for Latinx workshops."