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Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) emphasized the importance of repealing the Impoundment Control Act as a means to empower the President of the United States to curb federal spending. During a discussion on Breitbart News Daily, he previewed his plans to reintroduce this measure in the upcoming Congress.
Clyde explained the concept of impoundment as a mechanism to “save the nation by reducing the spending of the federal government.” He likened it to an impound yard where vehicles are held, stating, “We are impounding spending on a particular topic, many topics … impounding spending of a particular, you know, line of spending of the federal government. We’re impounding it so it cannot be further used.”
Congress is racing to force through a massive amount of wasteful spending in the next three days.
President Trump’s hands will be tied by the Impoundment Control Act, passed in 1974 to sabotage Richard Nixon from cutting spending.
I want to repeal it. pic.twitter.com/L13MBKVpn5
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 17, 2024
He provided an example to illustrate his point. If Congress allocates $10 million to the president for a specific program or function, and the president can accomplish the task for less, say $7 million, there should be no obligation to spend the entire $10 million. “He should be able to spend $7 million and save $3 million,” Clyde said, emphasizing that Congress should set a “ceiling” on the amount that can be spent, not a mandatory minimum.
Clyde clarified that the 1974 Impoundment Control Act essentially requires the president “must spend the money that Congress appropriates.” However, he argued that the intent is not to withhold funds from programs, but rather to enable cost savings. “It’s not to withhold money from a program so that the program doesn’t get accomplished. No, the president still must faithfully execute the law,” he said, adding that impoundment is about promoting efficiency.
“I don’t think we’re giving away our power of the purse because the power of the purse is like, you cannot spend more than this, but if you can spend less and be more efficient in doing it, then I would think the entire country would want that,” Clyde continued. He explained that any unused funds would return to the treasury to pay down debt, and the president would not have the authority to reallocate those funds to other programs, as that power resides with Congress.
.@SenMikeLee: 'We’re $36 trillion in debt because Congress ties presidents' hands. Repeal the Impoundment Control Act and let them clean up the mess.' pic.twitter.com/KrCNMUNYva
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) December 17, 2024
Clyde plans to reintroduce the measure in the next Congress, stating, “I’m going to do that literally the first week of session that we are back in January.” He expressed hope for substantial support, aiming for “50 or 100 cosponsors on it.”
“I think it’s very, very important that we consider this bill and pass this bill,” the congressman said. “It will help the president bring spending back under control, because right now it is, it is wild.”
