President Trump is facing a big obstacle in his attempt to stop a  lot of  American government spending.  He is encountering strong resistance from the court. It all started last month when Trump tried to cut federal spending using executive orders. These orders targeted various areas, including foreign aid, diversity programs, and even things Trump calls “gender ideology extremism. ” However Trump then released a memo through the White House Office of Management and Budget  (OMB).

        Trump’s OMB memo said that all federal agencies had to pause any activities related to using federal funds.  This memo  was taken back later.  Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island temporarily blocked Trump's plans.  This decision came just after an impressive Republican Justice stated that Trump's spending obstruction may be unconstitutional  . It seems the President doesn't have the power to stop these funds  from being spent , even though he may think he does.

         One of the reasons for this is something called “impoundment. ” This is the idea that the president can simply stop spending money that Congress has already approved. Many judges and legal experts agree that this is not allowed. Now, the Supreme Court has a few different justices. One of them, Brett Kavanaugh, actually said in 2013 that the president does not have the power to unilaterally refuse to spend money that Congress has approved.  There he was a federal appellate judge  . Another Supreme Court justice, Chief Justice John Roberts, also believed  that the president could not impound funds. He wrote about this when he was working in 1985.

        Kavanaugh’s 2013 opinion even mentions an interesting 1969 memo from the Department of Justice.  It was then a memo was written by future Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the document claimed that it is unbiblical to think.  Assuming that  they are full still agree with their earlier  opinions there are at least five votes against Trump’s plans.  That means Trump’s effort to stop spending could be declared unconstitutional.  But we won't know for sure until that case reaches  the Supreme Court, since the justices could decide to ignore their own earlier views

      Concerns have always existed about the possibility of a president refusing money that congress has already approved.  This goes back to the Nixon administration in the 1970s.  His presidency was marked by a clash with Congress, with Nixon using impoundment to try to control spending. Congress eventually passed a law to stop presidents from doing this. After all, Congress has the power to decide how money should be spent.

      Additionally, another obstacle for Trump is the current budget process. It typically involves  aproving funds for the year. Just because Trump is president now doesn't mean he can easily turn off the spending that Congress has already approved.

      The important question now is whether the Supreme Court will follow the lead of Kavanaugh and Roberts. But remember, many other cases may come up that could have political powers and the decision will truly be up to the  individual justices. It is crucial that the legal experts and public maintain awareness, and carefully consider whether these justices will act purely based on the law or if their decisions will be swayed by their own political beliefs.

Can President Trump Actually Stop Federal Spending?

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