President Lyndon Johnson used impoundment before Nixon, but Johnson's impoundments were smaller and he consulted with appropriators.

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President Lyndon Johnson did impound defense spending in the 1960s, but his impoundments were small, temporary, and done with appropriators' knowledge. Johnson used deferrals to manage cash flow, not to defund programs Congress wanted. Nixon impounded $18 billion to kill environmental and housing programs, defying Congress even after veto overrides. The difference: Johnson saw impoundment as budget management; Nixon used it as a line-item veto. This distinction shaped the 1974 Act, which allows temporary deferrals but requires congressional approval for permanent rescissions.

President Lyndon Johnson used impoundment before Nixon, but Johnson's impoundments were smaller and he consulted with appropriators.

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