FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, February 3, 2025
PRESS CONTACT:
nicole@focalpointstrategygroup.com
Washington, D.C. – Today, Monday February 3rd, the Senate will vote on a Motion to Proceed to Executive Session to begin consideration of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director nominee Russell Vought. A final vote could be as soon as this week.
Vought falsely contends that the Trump administration can unilaterally cancel spending appropriated by Congress, through a process known as impoundment. Impoundment is illegal and unconstitutional unless done with a vote in Congress following procedures laid out in the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Vought has built an agenda for using impoundment and challenging the Constitution, allowing Trump to ignore the will of Congress and amass unprecedented power. Vought’s Center for Renewing America and Project 2025 created the roadmap for the President to deploy impoundments and ignore laws passed by Congress without a vote.
Within moments of taking the Oath of Office, President Trump unleashed Vought’s unconstitutional and unprecedented plan to illegally impound funds already obligated by the federal government. In other words, the federal government has promised funding to specific grantees and, now, the Trump Administration is cancelling the check.
Appropriations reflect the priorities of the American people as expressed through their elected representatives in Congress. Presidential impoundment undermines our system of checks and balances. Presidents have many powers, but they do not have the power of the purse – that is Congress’s job.
Ahead of today’s Senate vote, Congressional Integrity Project Senior Advisor Kyle Herrig issued the following statement on behalf of the Checks and Balances War Room:
“Russell Vought’s unconstitutional mission to eliminate Congress’s authority over spending – its power of the purse – undermines Congress’ spending power and erodes our system of checks and balances. Today’s vote will be the ultimate test for so-called ‘institutionalist’ Senators who will have to decide whether Congress controls the power of the purse, or whether they will cede control to Trump and give him the power to disregard spending laws.”
Impoundment occurs when the president declines to spend money Congress has appropriated and enacted into law. This practice has always been unconstitutional, supported by the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made the power of impoundment a priority in his agenda. New polling from the Wall Street Journal shared that an overwhelming majority of voters are opposed to impoundments.