{"id":2417067,"date":"2025-03-28T10:08:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/susan-collins-challenges-trumps-withholding-of-congress-approved-funds\/"},"modified":"2025-03-28T10:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:09:20","slug":"susan-collins-challenges-trumps-withholding-of-congress-approved-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/susan-collins-challenges-trumps-withholding-of-congress-approved-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Susan Collins challenges Trump\u2019s withholding of Congress-approved funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsusan-collins-challenges-trumps-withholding-of-congress-approved-funds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2417067&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has criticized President Donald Trump for allegedly violating a Congressional spending bill by withholding $2.9 billion in approved funds. Alongside her Democratic colleague, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Collins sent a letter to the Office of Management and BudgetS director, Russell Vought, asserting that the Trump governance&#8217;s decision contradicts the established federal budget law. The senators emphasized that the president lacks the authority to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">selectively disburse funds designated<\/a> by congress. They cited concerns that the withheld funds would adversely affect multiple crucial programs, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-g-7-leaders-pledge-4-5-billion-in-aid-for-global-food-security-white-house\/\" title=\"Biden, G-7 Leaders Pledge .5 Billion in Aid for Global Food Security: ...\">international disaster assistance<\/a> and scientific research. Collins highlighted that Trump&#8217;s actions reflect a broader issue regarding the balance of power between the presidency and Congress in terms of financial appropriations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Susan Collins challenges Trump&rsquo;s withholding of Congress-approved funds<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2075382\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME), the chairwoman of the powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Senate<\/a> Appropriations Committee, has accused President Donald Trump of illegally refusing to spend $2.9 billion in funds approved by Congress.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">She and her Democratic counterpart, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), wrote a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.appropriations.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/32725letterreemergencydesignations.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">letter<\/a>&nbsp;to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, saying the Trump administration violated the six-month spending bill that was approved by Congress earlier this month.<\/span> It is the latest development in the struggle between the White House and Congress over which body has the ultimate power over spending &mdash; despite Congress having the constitutional authority to dole out funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3361807\/families-potomac-plane-crash-victims-advocacy\/\">Families of DCA plane crash victims turn grief into advocacy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3361200\/congress-reviews-deadly-dc-midair-collision-clearly-something-missed\/\">Congress reviews deadly DC midair collision: &lsquo;Clearly, something was missed&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3361348\/republican-rebrand-democrat-chris-pappas-ahead-of-nh-senate-run\/\">Republicans look to rebrand Democrat Chris Pappas ahead of NH Senate run<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Collins and Murray cited a memo that Trump sent to Congress earlier this week declaring that only a portion of the $12.4 billion that Congress designated as emergency funding in the law would be spent, as the administration did not agree with some of Congress&rsquo;s emergency designations for the funding.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Just as the president does not have a line-item veto, he does not have the ability to pick and choose which emergency spending to designate,&rdquo; Collins and Murray said.<\/p>\n<p>They continued that the Trump administration&rsquo;s view of federal budget law is at odds with how presidents on both sides of the aisle have interpreted it for two decades, including during the first Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is incumbent on all of us to follow the law as written &mdash; not as we would like it to be,&rdquo; the senators wrote.<\/p>\n<p>According to documents compiled by the Appropriations Committee, the White House&rsquo;s move to withhold the money would deny funding in 11 specific areas that the Trump administration has already targeted for large-scale reductions or to eliminate entirely. That includes withholding $750 million in international disaster assistance, $750 million in migration and refugee assistance, $234 million for the National Science Foundation, and $100 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.<\/p>\n<p>Collins additionally noted that the administration withheld $115 million for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fda-could-regulate-cbd-amid-evidence-of-worrying-health-risks-report\/\" title=\"FDA Could Regulate CBD in the Face Of Worrying Health Risques\">international narcotics control<\/a> and enforcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Why would you want to do that, given the huge drug problem that we have had?&rdquo; she told the <em>New York Times.<\/em> &ldquo;We need the help of other nations to stop that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Collins&rsquo;s signature marks one of the clearest examples of Republicans in Congress taking tangible action to counter the Trump administration. In the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) also slammed the administration&rsquo;s decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3319586\/shapiro-beshear-challenge-trump-federal-funding-freeze\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">withhold these funds<\/a>, but her letter was not signed by her Republican counterpart on the panel, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK).<\/p>\n<p>In a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Murray said Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill had been ignoring the constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to spend.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3361348\/republican-rebrand-democrat-chris-pappas-ahead-of-nh-senate-run\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>REPUBLICANS LOOK TO REBRAND DEMOCRAT CHRIS PAPPAS AHEAD OF NH SENATE RUN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Right now we have a couple of billionaires running our country straight into the ground who seem to have skipped American history because President Trump and Elon Musk don&rsquo;t seem to care much about our Constitution,&rdquo; she said, noting the constitutional provision that &ldquo;no money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Their lack of interest in that section of the Constitution doesn&rsquo;t make it any less real at all,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2075382\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2075382\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Collins criticizes Trump for withholding $2.9B in funds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2417068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25030682672635-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4402,6513,34870,3634],"class_list":["post-2417067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-congress","tag-funding","tag-susan-collins","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25030682672635-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2417067"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2417071,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417067\/revisions\/2417071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2417068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2417067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2417067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2417067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}