Congress has to authorize spending. The Executive Branch cannot just appropriate funds. But the Executive also has flexibility in spending. Just because Congress authorizes a certain amount of spending doesn’t necessarily entail that the Executive Branch has to spend it.
There are some forms (mostly Social Security and Medicare) where the Executive is mandated to spend money. But outside of that, usually the Executive does have discretion in whether to spend money that Congress appropriates.
All that being said, if what one wants is to reduce government spending, that’s really better directed to Congress. I kind of suspect that this is Trump aiming to make this about him, when it’s really the Congressional races that are more-meaningful.
Ehhhh.
Congress has to authorize spending. The Executive Branch cannot just appropriate funds. But the Executive also has flexibility in spending. Just because Congress authorizes a certain amount of spending doesn’t necessarily entail that the Executive Branch has to spend it.
There are some forms (mostly Social Security and Medicare) where the Executive is mandated to spend money. But outside of that, usually the Executive does have discretion in whether to spend money that Congress appropriates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_spending
All that being said, if what one wants is to reduce government spending, that’s really better directed to Congress. I kind of suspect that this is Trump aiming to make this about him, when it’s really the Congressional races that are more-meaningful.