Spending Money Congress Approved — Week of Apr 27, 2026

This week, several Senate speeches raised concerns about executive branch actions that may be circumventing Congress's control over federal spending. Most directly relevant is a speech by Senator Peter Welch of Vermont about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a heating and cooling assistance program for low-income Americans (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program). Senator Welch alleged that the administration has fired the staff responsible for distributing LIHEAP funds to states — even though Congress has continued to fund the program and directed that funds be distributed on time. The administration's budget also proposes eliminating LIHEAP entirely, though Congress has rejected similar proposals before.

This might matter because, if the allegations are accurate, removing the staff who distribute congressionally approved funds could effectively block spending that Congress authorized, without going through the legal process required when a president wants to withhold appropriated money. That legal process — established by the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 — exists specifically to prevent presidents from unilaterally overriding Congress's spending decisions, which is a core part of Congress's constitutional role in controlling how taxpayer money is spent.

Separately, Senator Cory Booker delivered a speech about the ongoing military conflict with Iran (WAR POWERS RESOLUTION), arguing that the administration has spent tens of billions of dollars on military operations approaching the 60-day legal deadline without congressional authorization, and that the Secretary of Defense's claim that a cease-fire pauses the legal clock is contradicted by ongoing military blockade operations.

There are important alternative explanations to consider. On LIHEAP, presidents of both parties routinely propose eliminating programs in their budgets, and Congress can simply continue funding them — this is normal budget negotiation. The staffing changes alleged by Senator Welch could also be part of a broader government efficiency initiative rather than a targeted effort to block LIHEAP funds. On the military spending question, presidents have long claimed broad authority to conduct military operations, and the War Powers Resolution's legal boundaries have been debated for decades without definitive resolution.

Limitations: These claims come from opposition senators in floor speeches, which are political in nature. The specific allegation about fired LIHEAP staff has not been independently verified through this analysis, and no administration response was available in the source documents.