The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse — the authority to decide how much the federal government spends and for what purposes. While presidents and Congress have always engaged in a push-and-pull over funding, President Trump has taken unprecedented steps to ignore this constitutional framework and impose his own spending priorities.
Since taking office, his administration has attempted to freeze nearly all forms of federal financial assistance, terminate countless already awarded scientific research grants, prevent states from accessing emergency disaster relief, and circumvent federal statutes through unlawful “pocket rescissions.”
Join us on Tuesday, October 28, at 2 p.m. for a live virtual event with Brennan Center experts and former Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, who will break down the efforts to undermine Congress’s funding authority, the lawsuits challenging them, and the impact of these actions on Americans’ daily lives.
Speakers:
- Shalanda Young, Former Director, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Distinguished Scholar in Residence, NYU School of Law; Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy
- Lauren Miller Karalunas, Counsel, Brennan Center Democracy Program
- Moderator: Michael Waldman, President and CEO, Brennan Center
