Trump administration uses rare authority to claw back nearly $1B in spending approved by Congress

The Trump administration has canceled nearly $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress. The White House announced the move on Friday, using a rare power to cut funding for immigrant services and diversity-focused initiatives.

The funding cuts, described by the Office of Management and Budget as targeting "the most harmful government spending," are largely focused on services for immigrants. According to The Guardian US, some of the organizations that will have their funding rescinded are led by people who worked in the administration of Democratic president Barack Obama.

The largest portion of the package is $567 million in HHS funding for services to non-citizens, which supported programs and non-governmental organizations providing services to refugees, asylum seekers, and other non-citizens, as reported by Hindustan Times - World News. The administration also cited grants to organizations including Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Southwest Key Programs, and Endeavors Inc. as examples of funding being rescinded.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, condemned the action, saying it was done without warning or consultation and that she would work to address it with colleagues.

Brief written by urgent.news from STAT News, The Guardian US, Hindustan Times - World News, CBC News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.