Trump is asking Congress to claw back $15 billion from children's health, ObamaCare

Trump speaks about his infrastructure plan
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, President Trump will ask Congress to claw back $15 billion in previously approved spending, with $7 billion of that coming from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), $4.2 billion from a vehicle technology program, $800 million from a health care innovation center created under the Affordable Care Act, and the rest from more than 30 other domestic programs. The "recission" request, which can pass with a simple majority, is expected to be approved by the House though its fate in the Senate is unclear. The last president to request a recission of previously appropriated funds was Bill Clinton, whose three requests totaled $128 million.

Trump is responding to outrage from conservatives over the $1.3 trillion spending package he signed March. This request would not touch that spending package, but the White House says Trump will soon request clawing back domestic appropriations from that law, too. A White House official described this first request as reclaiming pots of money that "are just sitting in accounts" unused.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.