A coalition of California farming interests filed a lawsuit on Oct. 1 to stop the executive branch from withholding federal funds previously approved by Congress. The legal challenge targets the administration's use of "pocket rescissions" to unilaterally cancel $810 million in spending across several agencies. This action occurred just before the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, effectively preventing Congress from voting to save the funds within the statutory 45 day window.

The lawsuit comes after Senator Ron Johnson blocked a Senate Democratic effort to bar the clawbacks. The Government Accountability Office has stated the rescissions are not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act and subvert the constitutional power of the purse. OMB Director Russell Vought defended the cuts—which include $567 million for refugee services and funds for diversity initiatives and foreign climate policies—as a legal tool. While the administration cited a Supreme Court precedent, critics argue the court only addressed standing rather than the legality of the rescissions.