Balanced Budget Responsibility Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would let the president refuse to spend money Congress has already approved whenever the government is running a deficit. It overrides current law that requires the president to spend funds Congress appropriates.
• Social Security and Medicare are specifically protected from these presidential spending cuts. Every other federal program—including Medicaid, military spending, food assistance, education funding, and more—could be reduced or frozen at the president's discretion.
• The bill directly overrides the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a post-Watergate law that prevents presidents from refusing to spend money Congress has approved. This would represent a major shift of budgetary power from Congress to the White House.
• The president's cuts could not exceed the amount needed to eliminate the deficit. With the current annual deficit exceeding $1.8 trillion, this could mean sweeping reductions across virtually all non-exempt federal programs.