There is a long, bipartisan history of attempts to rein in spending and address concerns about government inefficiencies, though the parties have grown increasingly divided about what to cut.

The withdrawal of the federal freeze was a stunning about-face for President Donald Trump’s White House, which has so far pushed the envelope to reshape the federal government, sowing chaos and confusion in firing career civil servants, pausing foreign aid programs and offering federal workers a buyout.

The White House walked back its order to freeze all federal aid even after several prominent Republicans defended President Donald Trump’s decision amid national pushback.