Sen. Jeff Merkley calls end-of-year "pocket rescission" an unconstitutional attempt to cancel congressional funding

Senator Jeff Merkley explained a practice he called a "pocket rescission," saying the Trump administration is attempting to cancel funds that Congress approved by timing rescission requests at the end of the budget year.

"What the hell is a pocket rescission?" Merkley asked, then described the mechanics: he said the executive can pause funding and seek congressional approval for rescissions within a statutory window, which he described as "some 45 days" to obtain an answer from Congress. "But, oops, it was at the end of the budget year. Calendar ran out, so now he's effectively canceled funding without going through a formal process," Merkley said.

Merkley framed the practice as a constitutional problem. "Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress, and then the president's supposed to execute that," he said, adding that unilateral withholding or canceling of funds approved by Congress "is illegal, and it will devastate hardworking families." He said the Office of Management and Budget and its head, Russell Vought, have pursued this approach, which Merkley characterized as an effort to concentrate spending decisions in the executive branch.

Merkley cited concrete consequences he said have already occurred, saying the administration "proceeded to freeze research funding, and we saw them freeze funding for our public schools across the country." He argued those programs support education, housing, health care access and jobs and said the timing of rescissions can nullify bipartisan compromises reached in Congress.

Closing his remarks, Merkley said he and other Senate Democrats "will do everything I can to stop these illegal and unconstitutional funding cuts and end Trump's power grab." The remarks were explanatory and political; no formal legislative action or vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt.