Super
The unilateral withholding of $800.0M from mandatory congressional appropriations constitutes an ultra vires impoundment. Under Train v. City of New York and the 1974 ICA, executive agencies cannot withhold spending on programmatic policy grounds without explicit statutory discretion.
| Statutory Requirement | Authority / Rule | Compliance Status | Notes |
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| Case Precedent / Precedential Authority | Governing Principle | Direct Relevance to Current Inputs |
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Enacted following President Nixon's refusal to spend billions on clean water and federal programs. Section 1012 mandates that proposed cancellations (rescissions) must be approved by both houses of Congress within 45 days of continuous session. If Congress does not act, funds must be made available for obligation immediately.
Landmark Supreme Court holding affirming that the Executive Branch cannot withhold congressionally appropriated funds when the authorizing statute contains mandatory language ("shall be allotted"). The Court ruled the Executive lacks discretion to reduce funding on policy grounds.
Permits the executive to establish administrative reserves solely for contingencies, to effect savings made possible by increased operational efficiency, or as specifically provided by law. In 1974, Congress amended the Act to explicitly prohibit reserves made for "policy reasons".