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Senator accuses administration of planning "pocket rescissions" to bypass Congress; Director Vogt disputes the claim
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Summary
A senator told the Senate Committee on Appropriations that Director Vogt had suggested "impoundment is still, quote, on the table" and might seek rescissions in the final 45 days of the fiscal year to sidestep Congress; Director Vogt called that a mischaracterization and said the administration believes it has lawful options, including year-end rescissions.
A senator on the Senate Committee on Appropriations accused the administration of signaling it might use so-called "pocket rescissions" or impoundment to circumvent Congress, saying such a move would amount to a retroactive line-item veto the president does not have.
"Impoundment is still, quote, on the table," the senator told Director Vogt, accusing the administration of proposing to "request rescissions in the last 45 days of the fiscal year" and then treat those rescissions as effective even if Congress did not approve them. "Let me tell you, that is not how the law works. The president does not have a line item veto, much less a retroactive line item veto," the senator said.
Director Vogt rejected that framing in his response, telling the committee, "Senator, there's a lot of mischaracterizations into, my previous comments." Vogt said the administration believes it has "under the law, numerous options with regard to how to achieve savings, including, rescissions that are timed at the end of the fiscal year." He also referenced the General Accounting Office, saying it had "articulated" related positions earlier.
Committee discussion focused on whether the administration's statements signaled an intent to use end-of-year rescissions in a way that would effectively bypass congressional appropriations authority. The senator asserted such a tactic would "defy common sense and, by the way, the plain text of the law," and characterized Vogt's response as evasive. Vogt maintained that his earlier comments were being mischaracterized and emphasized the administration's view that certain time‑limited rescission actions are among available tools to achieve savings.
The exchange on the legal limits of rescission and impoundment ended without a committee vote or a definitive resolution; committee members pressed both the legal question and how the administration intends to proceed. No formal motion or binding action was recorded during the discussion.
The committee did not cite a specific statute during the exchange; participants referenced "the law" and the General Accounting Office. The timing detail mentioned in the exchange was "the last 45 days of the fiscal year."
