Trump Administration proposes $810 million rescissions package

The Trump administration has introduced an $810 million rescissions package that includes $70 million in Title VI international education funding. This move utilizes a tactic referred to as “pocket rescission,” which involves withholding funds without a formal congressional rescission bill. While the administration claims this is a valid use of the Impoundment Control Act, the Government Accountability Office previously found that the Act does not grant the President such authority.

Separately, the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) narrowly met a federal court-mandated deadline to spend over $170 million in research funds before the September 30 deadline. This action followed a lawsuit from transparency advocates challenging the withholding of congressionally approved funds. Despite the recent surge in spending, the IES faces ongoing uncertainty as the White House continues to withhold nearly half a billion dollars in fiscal 2026 funding that had been previously approved by Congress.