House GOP Allies of President-elect Donald Trump Push to Give Him Greater Control Over Government Spending
House Republicans are pushing to repeal a 1974 law that requires Congress to approve the release of funds allocated for a given year, giving President-elect Donald Trump more control over the government spending process. Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia is introducing a bill to repeal the Impoundment Control Act, which was passed during the Nixon administration to prevent the president from having unilateral control over government spending.
Clyde said that the bill has the support of at least a dozen House Republicans and that the issue is already being discussed in Trump’s circle. He also stated that President-elect Trump’s transition team is in favor of the repeal, with outgoing Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and advisors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy supporting the move.
The Impoundment Control Act requires the president to obtain congressional approval to rescind any funding allocated for a given year, which can be held for up to 45 days while the request is processed. Clyde argues that this act has led to uncontrolled government spending and that repealing it would give the president more authority to reduce spending.
Clyde believes that having the president responsible for spending would lead to more efficient government and reduce deficits. “You simply can’t be efficient and not have the ability to reduce spending,” he said. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is also introducing a corresponding bill in the Senate.
However, the bill is expected to face opposition from Democrats, with Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, calling the idea “idiotic” and “dangerous.” Boyle argues that giving the president unilateral control over government spending would be a “devastating power grab” that would undermine the economy and put families and communities at risk.