The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a decision Tuesday that the National Institutes of Health stopped and delayed funds while terminating more than 1,800 existing grants and canceling meetings early in the year to award new ones.

The Government Accountability Office said the cancellation of $8 billion in NIH grants was a violation of the Impoundment Control Act and the Constitution.

The National Institutes of Health violated federal law that prevents presidents from withholding funds appropriated by Congress, according to a report published Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office.

It’s the fifth time this year that the Government Accountability Office has determined the administration defied Congress on spending.

Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the White House for halting money for cancer research and other cures.