The Government Accountability Office notified congressional offices that the executive branch overstepped its legal authority when it clawed back approved federal spending. The agency's formal opinion states that the most recent pocket rescission used to cancel $810 million across seven departments is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act and subverts the legislative power of the purse.

The funding cuts target diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and services for non-citizens, including $567 million stripped from the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services. By executing the move before the Sept. 30 fiscal year end, the administration prevented a congressional vote during the statutory 45 day window. While OMB Director Russell Vought defends the action as a tool to stop wasteful spending, appropriations members such as Senator Susan Collins and Representative Don Bacon have labeled the maneuver unconstitutional.