Trump has notified Congress that he is moving to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid, despite it having been already approved. He is doing so by using a rare “pocket rescission,” drawing criticism from Democrats, as well as at least one top Republican senator, who questioned the move’s legality. Trump told House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that he plans to withhold funding for 15 international programs, via a letter posted online.
The U.S. Constitution grants funding power to Congress, which every year has to pass legislation to fund government operations. The White House must secure Congress’ approval if it does not want to spend that money. However, Trump’s move, known as “pocket rescission” bypasses the Congress entirely. Trump budget director Russell Vought has argued that Trump can withhold funds for 45 days, which would run out the clock until it expires at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The White House said the tactic was last used in 1977. Reuters reports that the money was originally earmarked for foreign aid, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and democracy-promotion efforts overseas according to court filings. Most of this has been handled with U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been largely dismantled by the Trump administration.
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“For the first time in nearly 50 years, the President is using his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to deploy a pocket rescission, cancelling $4.9 billion in woke and weaponized foreign aid money that violates the President’s America First priorities,” a spokesperson of the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers and the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back, saying that the move was against the law. “Given that this package was sent to Congress very close to the end of the fiscal year when the funds are scheduled to expire, this is an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval,” said the Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the top Senate appropriator. “Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “the announcement of the Administration’s plan to advance an unlawful ‘pocket rescission’ package is further proof President Trump and Congressional Republicans are hellbent on rejecting bipartisanship and ‘going it alone’ this fall.”
Earlier this year, the Senate approved President Trump’s requested clawback of $9 billion in federal funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR) and foreign aid programs. Trump had said these programs represent unnecessary or misaligned spending that could be better used for domestic priorities like border security, veterans’ services, or infrastructure. Previously, the Supreme Court went against the directive of the Trump administration by allowing the release of $2 billion in foreign aid.