Susan Collins Takes on Trump Over Stalled Congress-Approved Funds

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Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the chairperson of the influential Senate The appropriations committee has charged President Donald Trump with unlawfully withholding $2.9 billion in congressionally-approved funding.

She and her Democratic colleague, Senator Patty Murray from Washington state (D-WA), penned an letter together. letter To Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, stating that the Trump administration breached the six-month appropriations bill endorsed by Congress earlier this month. This represents the most recent advancement in the continuous conflict between the White House and Congress regarding which entity holds supreme authority when it comes to expenditures, even though Congress possesses the constitutional mandate to allocate money.

Collins and Murray referred to a recent memorandum from Trump to Congress that he shared earlier in the week. The document stated that only part of the $12.4 billion allocated by Congress as emergency funds under the new legislation will be utilized. This decision comes because the administration disagrees with certain congressional classifications for how these funds should be used during emergencies.

"Just like the president doesn’t have a line-item veto, he also can’t selectively decide which emergency funding to approve," stated Collins and Murray.

They further explained that the perspective of the Trump administration regarding federal budget laws contradicts how presidents from both political parties have understood these laws over the past twenty years, even throughout his initial term as president.

"It is our duty for everyone to adhere to the law as it is written—not as we wish it were," the senators stated.

Based on documents assembled by the appropriations committee, the White House plans to hold back funds which will result in cutting off financial support across 11 particular sectors that were previously marked by the Trump administration for significant budget cuts or complete elimination. This action encompasses freezing $750 million from international disaster aid, retaining $750 million intended for migration and refugee programs, setting aside $234 million meant for the National Science Foundation, and holding onto $100 million designated for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Collins also pointed out that the administration held back $115 million intended for international narcotics control and enforcement.

Why would you want to do that, considering our significant drug issue?" she asked The New York Times. "We require assistance from other countries to address this.

Collins' distinctive mark represents one of the most explicit instances of Republicans in Congress actively working against the Trump administration. Within the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) similarly criticized the administration’s choice to withhold these funds , however, her letter did not bear the signature of her Republican colleague on the committee, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK).

During her address on the Senate floor on Thursday, Murray stated that Trump along with his supporters in Congress had consistently overlooked the explicit constitutional clause granting Congress the authority to allocate funds.

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Currently, we have a few billionaires leading our nation down a destructive path, appearing to have overlooked American history since President Trump and Elon Musk do not appear to prioritize our Constitution," she stated, highlighting the constitutional clause that "no funds shall be withdrawn from the treasury unless authorized by legislation.

"Their disinterest in that part of the Constitution does not diminish its validity in any way," she stated.

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