DragonSnax
Well-known member
The White House has Unloaded Millions of Dollars on Federal Programs Without Congressional Approval During Shutdown. Here is a paraphrased version.
A federal shutdown remains ongoing, and despite over two weeks having passed, no end to it is in sight. Normally, during such situations, lawmakers would be working with the White House to find an escape route or off-ramp. Instead, President Trump, accompanied by his budget chief Russell Vought, has taken advantage of a largely submissive Congress to circumvent the law and seize more control over federal spending.
The plan is aimed at reducing political pain for Republicans, but it's likely breaking laws in the process. This situation is particularly problematic because there are certain provisions baked into Pentagon funding bills that allow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to transfer funds with specific guidelines. However, Trump has authorized Hegseth to work around these rules by using unapproved funds from fiscal year 2026.
The President signed an executive order which may likely violate a key budget law known as the Antideficiency Act. The modern ADA is designed to prevent the misuse of government funds and carries significant penalties for violating it, but since there are no lawsuits currently being filed to block the administration's efforts, it seems unlikely that Trump will be held accountable.
Trump has also shown willingness to pay his preferred groups using unapproved funds during shutdowns. He signed a decree on Wednesday allowing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to utilize government funds for purposes other than what Congress has permitted.
A federal shutdown remains ongoing, and despite over two weeks having passed, no end to it is in sight. Normally, during such situations, lawmakers would be working with the White House to find an escape route or off-ramp. Instead, President Trump, accompanied by his budget chief Russell Vought, has taken advantage of a largely submissive Congress to circumvent the law and seize more control over federal spending.
The plan is aimed at reducing political pain for Republicans, but it's likely breaking laws in the process. This situation is particularly problematic because there are certain provisions baked into Pentagon funding bills that allow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to transfer funds with specific guidelines. However, Trump has authorized Hegseth to work around these rules by using unapproved funds from fiscal year 2026.
The President signed an executive order which may likely violate a key budget law known as the Antideficiency Act. The modern ADA is designed to prevent the misuse of government funds and carries significant penalties for violating it, but since there are no lawsuits currently being filed to block the administration's efforts, it seems unlikely that Trump will be held accountable.
Trump has also shown willingness to pay his preferred groups using unapproved funds during shutdowns. He signed a decree on Wednesday allowing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to utilize government funds for purposes other than what Congress has permitted.
they're literally breakin all the rules and gettin away with it 
like what happened w/ fiscal year 2026? didn't we learn from past shutdowns how important it is to follow the budget laws? seems like trump is more concerned about lookin good than doin what's right 
& btw, where r the lawmakers? shouldnt they be tryin to stop this kinda thing? 
i'm not sure why he thinks this is a good idea tho, seems like more chaos than anything else 
This whole thing feels like a big ol' mess, and I'm not sure how we're gonna get out of this hole...or if we even wanna try anymore 
. I just don't trust him anymore, you know? He's got no regard for the people or the democratic process... it's so messed up 
.
! i mean, i get that shutdowns are super frustrating but come on, use the right channels! 
he's basically using a loophole to get more control over spending which is just shady 
like, what even is this?!