King Slams “Unconstitutional Lawlessness” of Trump Rescissions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) issued the following response to news that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinded nearly one billion dollars of Congressionally-approved bipartisan spending without warning or Congressional authorization:

"This administration's Office of Management and Budget has just unilaterally taken away 800 million dollars that Congress passed on a bipartisan basis towards key priorities - in blatant defiance of the Constitution and federal law.

"This isn't a vague legal concept they are abusing; it's grade school-level American government: Article 1 of the United States Constitution. Elected lawmakers make funding decisions to provide for the common defense and support the general welfare - that's the beating heart of representational democracy.

"But this President and his administration no doubt believe they can get away with such an illegal action - because, for over 20 months, they have. Watching the President spend billions on his unauthorized and illegal war that is costing lives and wrecking household budgets; wage economic warfare on our allies through tariffs that hike costs for Americans on everyday goods and spend over a billion dollars on his vanity projects, the Congressional majority has shown no resistance.

"Why does he believe he can claw back a nearly billion dollars of bipartisan-approved Congressional spending? Because this Congress has enabled him by declining to stand up for itself and the rule of law - even voting down a Senate attempt to formally ban rescissions like this on party lines. After nearly two years of this explicitly unconstitutional lawlessness, will my colleagues finally say 'no more?' I urge my colleagues to come together, reject this unconstitutional pattern of behavior, and reset the balance among the branches of government.

"President Trump is having enough difficulty doing his job; Congress should take this opportunity to do ours."

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