power of the purse

Cultural  

1. The influence that legislatures have over public policy because of their power to vote money for public purposes. The United States Congress must authorize the president's budget requests to fund agencies and programs of the executive branch. (See appropriation.)

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Example Sentences

But Congress has two more traditional and frequently used oversight tools at its disposal: oversight hearings and the power of the purse.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

They’re so large they’re unlikely to happen, and they raise serious questions about American governance and the power of the purse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

That is Article I, Section 9—the bedrock of Congress’s power of the purse.

From Barron's • Oct. 6, 2025

The framers stated clearly that Congress, not the president, should hold the power of the purse.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

He chose to fight Claudia with the one weapon he had—the power of the purse.

From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg