John,
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are causing irreparable harm to the United States with their moves to freeze federal funding and take over government payment systems.
Even after a federal judge instructed the administration to end its funding freeze, states have reported that the federal government has continued withholding funds. This caused the judge to reiterate his order, writing, "These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [temporary restraining order]."1
What Donald Trump is doing is in clear violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. He must be stopped and Congress must use its “power of the purse” to hold this renegade, unrestrained administration accountable.
Send a direct message to Congress telling them to hold Trump and Musk accountable and stop these clear violations of the law and Constitution.
SEND A MESSAGE
Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution says: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”2
The President of the United States does not have unlimited authority to decline congressional appropriations and decide what gets funded and by how much depending on his whims and which political adversaries he wants to punish.
The Impoundment Control Act further established this after the Nixon administration. The idea of presidential impoundment was mentioned by the late Justice Antonin Scalia in the SCOTUS case of Clinton v. City of New York:3
“President Nixon, the Mahatma Gandhi of all impounders, asserted at a press conference in 1973 that his ‘constitutional right’ to impound appropriated funds was ‘absolutely clear.’… Our decision two years later in Train v. City of New York, 420 U. S. 35 (1975), proved him wrong…”.
Donald Trump is on a warpath. With the help of Republicans in Congress, he plans on making drastic cuts to starve out human need programs, taking food assistance and health care away from millions by pushing unnecessary and burdensome work reporting requirements to kick low-income people off of Medicaid and SNAP, and increase his mass deportation machine. In fact, he has already begun to implement most of these measures without congressional approval.
Democrats aren’t completely helpless in this situation. Due to slim Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, Democrats must use that power as leverage in the quickly unfolding budget fight. Republicans only have a three seat majority in the House, and their caucus is notoriously divided. If Democrats can vote as one block, and peel off a few swing-district Republicans, they can hold this lawless administration accountable by wielding Congress’ power of the purse.
Members of Congress must use every tool and resource at their disposal to stop this illegal, unconstitutional government overreach.
Send a message to Congress today and demand they hold Donald Trump and Elon Musk accountable.
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action
1 Judge directs Trump officials to comply with earlier order halting funding freeze
2 ArtI.S9.C7.1 Overview of Appropriations Clause
3 TRUMP’S IMPOUNDMENT: UNINFORMED & UNCONSTITUTIONAL
