Can the president override Congress on spending?

Planet Money

NPR

Business, News

4.6 • 29.8K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

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Summary

So the president can't spend more money than Congress has agreed and voted to spend. But can the president spend less money than Congress wants?

It all comes down to something called "impoundment" and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which controls when and how a president can take away money Congress has appropriated.

President Trump followed the Impoundment Control Act rules back in 2018. But now, in his second term, he's saying he thinks that law is unconstitutional.

On this episode: the history of impoundment, from Thomas Jefferson to Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. And what constitutional scholars and judges are saying after Trump attempted to dismantle a federal agency and freeze trillions in federal funding that goes to states for everything from new school buses to public health research.

Check out The Indicator's episodes on the gutting of USAID and how American farmers are affected in USAID cuts. And, our previous episode on the big government money pipe that's being closely watched right now.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	My defining characteristic for him is love.
0:05.1	I'm Jesse Thorne on Bolzai, Kelsey Grammer, on the thing that makes Frazier, Frazier.
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0:14.5	Plus, sideshow Bob, cheers, and so much more.
0:17.3	On Bullseye for Maximum fun.org and NPR.
0:27.3	This is Planet Money from NPR.
0:37.2	President Donald Trump has attempted to dismantle a federal agency, USAAD, the agency for international development.
0:38.2	He's attempted to freeze billions of dollars in grant money that goes to states for
0:44.0	everything from new school buses to paying for the health benefits of child care workers,
0:50.3	wildfire prevention.
0:51.5	He's attempted to freeze federal funds for medical and public health research.
0:57.4	And now, whether Trump has the power to cut off money that has been appropriated by Congress is being litigated by the courts.
1:07.7	Several judges have blocked big parts of Trump's efforts, ordered the administration
1:11.9	to release the funds they froze, though there have been many examples of funds not being
1:16.8	released. And, you know, the Constitution is pretty clear that Congress has the power of the purse.
1:23.8	Congress decides how much money the U.S. spends. So generally, it's been understood that the
1:29.2	president cannot spend more money than Congress has agreed and voted to spend. But can the
1:37.1	president spend less money than Congress wants?
1:42.8	Hello and welcome to Planet Money.
1:44.7	I'm Sarah Gonzalez and that is the thing being debated right now.
1:49.1	Whether a president can spend less than Congress wants comes down to something called
1:54.0	impoundment and the impoundment control act.
	...

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