US Government Shutdown Threatens the Spending Power of Congress

As Republican and Democratic lawmakers trade blame for the U.S. government shutdown, some have begun to worry that the impasse is ceding their authority over federal spending to an increasingly assertive President Donald Trump.
The White House during the shutdown has frozen billions of dollars in funds meant for Democratic-led jurisdictions, sought to lay off thousands of federal workers and shifted money around to guarantee that military personnel and gun-carrying law enforcement officers will not see their pay disrupted.
Nonpartisan observers said that further marginalizes Congress at a time when Trump is already pushing the boundaries of presidential power in other areas, like military action and international trade.