1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern about the recent attempts to implement "pocket rescissions," a practice that directly violates the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) of 1974 and threatens the constitutional balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. The ICA was specifically enacted to prevent unilateral presidential impoundments of congressionally appropriated funds. It is alarming that the current administration has already illegally withheld billions in federal funds for various programs, disregarding both the letter and spirit of this crucial law. There are four key reasons why pocket rescissions are unequivocally illegal: First, the ICA's purpose is to prevent, not enable, unilateral presidential impoundments. Second, the President cannot delay funding when authorizing and appropriations statutes mandate its expenditure. Third, the ICA requires immediate proposal of rescissions once the President decides against spending funds, not allowing for delays. Finally, pocket rescissions closely resemble a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 1998. The administration's misinterpretation of the ICA not only violates existing laws and appropriations acts but also undermines the fundamental principle of checks and balances. If explicitly authorized by Congress, pocket rescissions would still be unconstitutional based on previous Supreme Court rulings on similar issues. I urge you to take immediate action to enforce the ICA and prevent any attempts at pocket rescissions. This is crucial to maintain the integrity of our democratic processes and ensure that congressionally appropriated funds are used as intended for the benefit of the American people. Please work with your colleagues to hold the executive branch accountable and protect our constitutional system of governance.