A rescission request is the legal path the Impoundment Control Act gives a president who does not want to spend money Congress appropriated. The president must send Congress a special message identifying the budget authority to cancel, the amount, the reason, and the legal effects. Congress then has a limited review period. If both chambers do not approve the rescission, the money must be made available for obligation.
The rescission process is the difference between asking Congress to cancel spending and silently blocking money after Congress already voted. It keeps the president from turning budget disagreement into unilateral budget control.
A rescission request is not the same thing as a budget proposal. A president can propose future cuts in a budget request, but already-enacted appropriations remain law unless Congress cancels them through the rescission process.
The rescission process is the difference between asking Congress to cancel spending and silently blocking money after Congress already voted. It keeps the president from turning budget disagreement into unilateral budget control.
A rescission request is not the same thing as a budget proposal. A president can propose future cuts in a budget request, but already-enacted appropriations remain law unless Congress cancels them through the rescission process.