Since beginning his second term, President Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders, some of which pause congressionally appropriated funding. In a new primer, Director of Fiscal Policy Jordan Haring provides an overview of the executive branch’s impoundment authority, which allows the president to withhold congressionally appropriated funds from their intended use under certain circumstances.

An excerpt:

To rescind funds, the president must first send Congress a special message with the proposed rescissions. The message must include: the amount of BA to be rescinded; the specific accounts where the BA resides; the projects and functions that would be affected; an explanation of why the BA should be rescinded; and the estimated fiscal and economic impacts of the rescission and the impact on the programs and functions that would be affected.

Read the analysis.