Impoundments

This letter discusses the status of budget authority proposed by the President in his third special impoundment message for fiscal year 1995. On April 6, 1995, Congress passed an emergency supplemental and rescission bill approving two of the rescissions proposed by the President and rescinding other budgetary resources. The President signed the bill into law on April 10. On July 21, Congress passed another emergency supplemental and rescission bill approving some of the remaining rescissions proposed by the President and rescinding other budgetary resources. The President signed the bill into law on July 27. For that budget authority proposed for rescission in the third and fourth special messages which Congress did not included in rescissions bills, the Office of Management and Budget informed GAO that all budget authority withheld pursuant to these proposals was released for obligation on March 28, 1995, as required by the Impoundment Control Act.

GAO found that Congress: (1) passed an emergency supplemental and rescission bill approving two of the rescissions proposed by the President in the third special message; and (2) passed another emergency supplemental and rescission bill approving some of the remaining rescissions proposed in the third special message. In addition, GAO found that all budget authority withheld pursuant to these proposals was released for obligation on March 28, 1995.