Donald Trump has informed House speaker Mike Johnson that his administration will not spend $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, effectively canceling the funds without a legislative vote.
In a letter sent Thursday and posted by the White House budget office on X, Trump invoked a “pocket rescission,” a mechanism unused since 1977, which allows the president to withhold spending by submitting the request near the fiscal year’s end.
With Congress unable to act within the 45-day window before the September 30 deadline, the funds lapse automatically.
The cuts target the State Department and USAID, consistent with Trump’s longstanding push to curtail foreign aid. The move follows earlier rescissions totaling $9 billion approved by Congress in July.
Critics warn that systematic use of this tool could erode congressional control over spending, while the administration insists it is legally permissible under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act.
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