Kirsters Baish| It’s looking like the conservatives who were upset with President Trump and the rest of the Republican Party for some of the expenditures that were approved as part of the omnibus spending bill might start seeing things in a different light.
The Washington Examiner’s Joseph Lawler reported that congressional conservatives are hoping that Trump will use the 1974 Impoundment Act in order to reduce some of the spending which was approved by the $1.3 trillion government appropriations bill. It is reported that White House officials are actually considering it.
Conservative Tribune reported, “The measure referred to by the Examiner is officially known as the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. For the most part, the act established the Congressional Budget Office and gave Congress more control over the budget process.”
Herman Cain✔@THEHermanCain
Trump, GOP consider rarely used Impoundment Act to rescind some of the omnibus spending – Herman Cain https://buff.ly/2GZxmdj
President Trump is able to ask Congress to take back funds that they have allocated in the budget through the Impoundment Control Act. It is not a requirement for Congress to vote on the request, however if they decide to vote, all that is needed to approve Trump’s requested cuts is a simple majority in both chambers. In addition to this, anyone who wants to keep the over the top payoffs and pork will have to vote on the record in support of them. This would be a brilliant political maneuver.
Congress is granted 45 days to approve any of President Trump’s requests. It was reported that a congressional Republican aide told the Washington Examiner that Conservatives have been pushing for Trump to use the Impoundment Act.
The aide stated, “It’s a good opportunity to take advantage of a law passed decades ago and that hasn’t been used recently.”
One of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s spokesmen told the Washington Post that McCarthy’s office is working alongside the White House on the idea.
Marc Short, the White House legislative director, too confirmed that President Trump is considering budget cuts.
“The administration is certainly looking at a rescission package, and the president takes seriously his promise to be fiscally responsible,” Short explained.
After signing the omnibus spending bill that he originally threatened to veto, Trump called on Congress to give him line-item veto authority on spending bills. However, the Supreme Court ruled in 1998 that such authority was unconstitutional.
These measures could pass with just a majority vote, meaning Democrats could do nothing to stop them — unless, of course, they can convince enough Republicans not to support the president’s wishes.
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