华盛顿——美国总统唐纳德·特朗普9月25日寻求单方面扣留国会已批准的逾8亿美元移民、种族和教育支出。
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Sept 25 sought to unilaterally withhold more than US$800 million in spending on immigration, race and education that Congress has approved.
此举是特朗普政府与国会围绕国家支出控制权斗争中的最新一轮交锋。
The move was the latest salvo in a fight between the Trump administration and Congress over control of the nation’s spending.
白宫在宣布这些措施的声明中表示：“特朗普总统致力于利用一切可能的工具，削减浪费、有害且无益于美国公民的政府支出。”
“President Trump is committed to utilising all possible tools to cut wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens,” the White House said in a statement announcing the steps.
声明列出了若干项目，其中包括一些侧重于难民援助、少数族裔商业发展以及海外自然保护的项目。
The statement outlined several programmes, including some focused on refugee assistance, racial-minority business development and overseas conservation.
宪法赋予国会掌握国库资金的权力，但白宫称，这些项目为非法移民提供支持，煽动了种族紧张关系，并鼓吹对环境采取危言耸听的应对方式。
The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, but the White House said the programmes supported illegal immigration, stoked racial tensions and promoted alarmist approaches to the environment.
白宫正在动用一种被称为“口袋式撤销拨款”（pocket rescission）的罕用手段，以绕过国会。
The White House is deploying a rarely used technique known as a “pocket rescission” that bypasses Congress.
担任参议院拨款委员会主席的参议员苏珊·科林斯称这一做法“非法”。
Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the chamber’s Appropriations Committee, described the step as “illegal”.
科林斯说：“这是管理和预算办公室最近一次企图削弱国会依据宪法享有的国库控制权的做法。”她是特朗普所属共和党的成员，目前正在缅因州竞逐连任，选情胶着。
“This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget to undermine Congress’ Constitutional power of the purse,” said Collins, a member of Trump’s Republican Party fighting a tight race for re-election in Maine.
“任何未经国会批准便撤销已拨资金的做法，都是对法律的明确违反。”
“Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.”
去年，最高法院拒绝阻止特朗普采用同样手段扣留国会已批准的49亿美元外国援助，相关诉讼仍在继续。
The Supreme Court last year declined to block Trump from using the same tactic to withhold US$4.9 billion in foreign aid Congress had approved, while litigation continued.