California and six states sue the Trump administration over federal funds

California and six other states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, accusing it of withholding around $810 million in federal funds approved by Congress, as Reuters reports.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, argues that the administration’s refusal to spend the appropriated money violates the separation of powers and the appropriations and presentment clauses of the Constitution.

According to the lawsuit, the administration used the technique known as a “pocket rescission” — a request to cancel funds so close to the end of the fiscal year that they expire before lawmakers can act, making it impossible for Congress to preserve the money.

“I remain shocked by President Trump’s open disregard for the basic constitutional framework of our government. Just because the president doesn’t like a program doesn’t mean he can abolish it,” Bonta said.

The White House, meanwhile, has said the programs in question supported illegal immigration, fuelled racial tensions and an alarmist approach to the environment, thus defending its action.

The lawsuit raises a new legal clash over the limits of presidential spending power. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, not the president.