President Donald Trump told congressional leaders on September 26 that he is cancelling $810 million in congressionally approved spending through a rare “pocket rescission,” setting up a fresh fight over the power of the purse.

The package covers 11 rescissions, with the largest single cut, $567 million, hitting Health and Human Services social services for refugees and migrants. It also targets $70 million in international education programs, $56 million in housing-counseling grants and health research funds the administration calls wasteful. The White House describes the total as nearly $1 billion.

A pocket rescission is sent so late in the fiscal year that Congress cannot complete its legally required 45-day review before the money expires on September 30. The Government Accountability Office has said the maneuver is not lawful.

Even Republican Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins objected, calling any rescission without congressional approval “a clear violation of the law.” Democrats called the move illegal, while the administration framed it as historic action against wasteful spending.