The White House can send such requests, called “rescissions,” to Congress to clawback unspent money the administration views as wasteful or unnecessary. Officials insisted the re-allocation of the Pell Grant money would have no impact on those currently receiving grants, which help low-income students pay for college. “This does not cut any spending for Pell Grant programs as the budget continues to ensure all students will get their full Pell Grant and keeps the program on sound fiscal footing,” Office of Management and Budget spokesman Wesley Denton said in a statement. The administration proposed a similar cancellation of unobligated Pell grant money for 2019, but later backed off the idea. Trump had previously announced plans included in Monday’s request to reverse several of his administration’s own proposed budget cuts, including efforts to gut federal funding for a wide-ranging Great Lakes cleanup program.

Source: Washington Post May 14, 2019 01:30 UTC