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‘Power of the purse’ at stake

CQ Budget, Episode No. 366

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., show no sign of yielding as the partial government shutdown enters its fourth week.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., show no sign of yielding as the partial government shutdown enters its fourth week. (Bill Clark/ CQ Roll Call)
By Paul M. Krawzak, Aidan Quigley and David Lerman
Posted October 20, 2025 at 5:16pm

President Donald Trump’s decision to divert Pentagon research and development funds to pay the troops during the partial shutdown has ignited a fierce debate among budget and legal analysts over whether the move is legal. CQ Roll Call’s Paul M. Krawzak, Aidan Quigley and David Lerman explain the arguments on both sides and what the decision may mean for the “power of the purse” that the Constitution reserves for Congress.

Show Notes:

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