Do US courts control spending

HalfDime

Do US courts control spending

U.S. courts themselves do not have the constitutional authority to control federal spending. The power to allocate and authorize spending of taxpayer money rests exclusively with the U.S. Congress, as established by Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution—the “power of the purse”. Congress passes appropriations laws that provide funding for government functions, including the judiciary.

Federal courts, however, do have limited roles related to spending in a few ways:

They can interpret and enforce spending laws and appropriations, adjudicating disputes over their meaning or execution.

Courts can sometimes order government entities to spend money in order to comply with the law—for example, to uphold constitutional rights or enforce mandates—but this is not the same as controlling the budget or deciding spending priorities.

In practical terms, federal courts can take measures to manage their own expenditures (such as deferring non-critical expenses during a government shutdown) but these actions only affect their internal operations, not broader federal spending policies.

Ultimately, the U.S. Constitution grants only Congress the primary authority to tax and spend federal money; courts’ role is limited to interpretation, enforcement, and oversight—not direct control over national spending.
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Anyone who has read the news for the past few months knows that the US courts seem to think they do control spending.

derryb

Federal spending is carried out by many government agencies and departments using money that was approved by congress (the budget). I believe and decisions by courts that concern taxpayer dollars must comply with the approved budget.

tincup

???

tincup

Are you by chance in the wrong forum?