Washington, DC – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) a senior member of the House Budget Committee joined Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, in introducing the Congressional Power of the Purse Act to strengthen Congress’ authority over federal spending and stop President Trump’s ongoing illegal impoundments. All House Budget Committee Democrats are original cosponsors.
The bill updates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and the Antideficiency Act to reaffirm that Congress — not the President — holds the power of the purse. It ensures that funding already approved by Congress, including investments in health care, infrastructure, and national security are delivered to the American people. This legislation follows the Trump administration’s announcement of an illegal “pocket rescission” of lawfully appropriated funds.
"As the Article I Branch, Congress and Congress alone has the authority to direct spending through law," said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). "Our legislation introduced by members from across the Budget Committee shows with a strong united front that we will not roll over and yield this authority to any President. We are standing up for our communities across America where funding has been approved and contracts signed, but progress and funding have been arbitrarily choked off from Toledo to Philadelphia, and beyond. I will never stop fighting to return illegally diverted funding to the Northwest Ohio communities I represent."
“President Trump has abused his power and broken the law to block the investments American families were promised,” said Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (PA-02). “At his direction, Russell Vought has issued secret orders to hide how Republicans are spending our tax dollars. The consequences are clear: critical services have been gutted, economic growth is slowing, and families face growing uncertainty. The Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress, not to the president. I am proud to lead my Democratic colleagues on the Budget Committee in this fight to protect Congress’ authority and stop these illegal power grabs.”
Since January, the Trump Administration, led by Project 2025 architect and OMB Director Russell Vought, has waged an unprecedented assault on the rule of law and Congress’ constitutional power of the purse. Both the US Supreme Court and the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) have confirmed these actions are illegal. GAO recently found, for example, that President Trump blocked lifesaving NIH research grants, funding that supports work on cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Withholding those dollars not only delays critical medical breakthroughs, but it also puts at risk thousands of good-paying jobs tied to NIH research nationwide. GAO also found the President has illegally withheld funds for Head Start, infrastructure, and public-school improvements, further straining the economy and undermining programs families count on.
The Congressional Power of the Purse Act strengthens enforcement and transparency to stop illegal impoundments. It builds on existing restrictions against so-called “pocket rescissions” and speeds up action when funds are unlawfully withheld. The bill blocks presidents from obstructing emergency funding and eliminates fast-track procedures for considering rescissions during the rest of President Trump's term. It also creates an independent inspector general at OMB, requires agencies to notify Congress if funds are delayed, and mandates public reporting on violations. To ensure accountability, the legislation gives GAO stronger authority to compel release of funds and establishes penalties for officials who knowingly break the law — including removal from office, fines, and imprisonment.
Kaptur and Boyle were joined by all other 14 Budget Committee Democrats as original cosponsors: Representatives Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Scott Peters (CA-50), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Stacey Plaskett (VI), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Becca Balint (VT), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), and Gabe Amo (RI-01).
The Congressional Power of the Purse Act is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).
"Every member of Congress should be worried about this administration's brazen attempts to ignore spending and transparency laws. But the Trump administration is not the first to attempt to usurp Congress's authority, and it will not be the last," said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "By strengthening guardrails around executive branch spending, enhancing transparency and ensuring the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has the tools it needs to investigate executive branch overreach, Rep. Boyle's Congressional Power of the Purse Act seeks to ensure that—regardless of who is president—money is spent as Congress intended. We thank Rep. Boyle for introducing this legislation to ensure more Americans are not harmed by arbitrary attacks on government funding."
"We welcome the reintroduction of the Congressional Power of the Purse Act, which would restore and protect Congress' arguably most powerful and potent tool - its authority over spending decisions," said Faith Williams, Director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program at the Project On Government Oversight. "Overzealous presidents have undermined this power and it's essential that Congress reassert its prerogative. We urge swift bipartisan passage of this important bill."
The text of the Congressional Power of the Purse Act is available here. A fact sheet is available here. A section-by-section summary is available here.
For more on how Ranking Member Boyle and Budget Committee Democrats are fighting back, visit our Power of the Purse page here.
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