Trump Wants to ‘Impound’ Money That Congress Appropriated. Here’s What It Means

The battle over impoundments has begun. Among the ways President Donald Trump aims to impose his will in Washington is by refusing to spend all the money Congress tells him to spend.

After Trump telegraphed this strategy during his 2024 campaign, his administration on Jan. 27 directed federal agencies to pause disbursements of various kinds of financial assistance, pending a review to determine whether they comply with the flurry of executive orders the president has issued since starting his second term. After a federal judge temporarily blocked the directive the next day, Trump officials rescinded the order while indicating that funding would remain frozen for certain programs, including those targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and foreign aid. Democrats vowed to keep fighting what they consider illegal withholding of funds.