(CNN) The White House is seeking to cut funding from the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, as part of its larger request for cuts to the federal budget in a rescissions package sent to Congress this week.

The request from President Donald Trump includes a $7 billion cut to the popular program, part of $15 billion in overall cuts. Some $2 billion would come from a contingency fund that was created to prevent states from running out of money, with the rest coming from funding that Congress has authorized for the program but states haven't spent.

The administration defended the cuts, telling reporters Monday the money would come from untapped leftover funds and wouldn't affect operations at CHIP or in other health care areas.

"This is money that was never going to be spent," said one official.

The request is part of the administration's efforts to "rein in out-of-control federal spending," per a White House statement, something Trump railed against on the campaign trail as he promised to "drain the swamp." His rival, Hillary Clinton, campaigned in 2016 on her advocacy for the bill while first lady.

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