Trump Halts $4.9B in Congress-Approved Foreign Aid With First ‘Pocket Rescission’ in 50 Years

President Donald Trump has informed House Speaker Mike Johnson that he will not spend $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, invoking a little-used budget maneuver known as a “pocket rescission.”

The move, disclosed in a letter posted Friday by the White House Office of Management and Budget, marks the first use of the tactic in nearly 50 years. By submitting the request so close to the September 30 fiscal year deadline, Trump ensures that Congress cannot act within the 45-day review window, allowing the funds to lapse.

The cuts target the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), long a focus of Trump’s push to scale back foreign aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said USAID is now “in close out mode,” praising budget director Russ Vought for overseeing its shutdown.

The rescission package includes $3.2 billion in development assistance, $520 million for the United Nations, $838 million for peacekeeping operations, and $322 million for democracy promotion abroad.

Critics immediately challenged the legality of the move. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called it a “clear violation of the law,” arguing that Congress alone holds the power of the purse. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned the maneuver could upend budget negotiations and risk a government shutdown.

The Trump administration insists the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 permits pocket rescissions, despite legal scholars noting that the law requires Congress to act before funds are withheld. The last known attempt at such a move came under President Jimmy Carter in 1977.

The pocket rescission continues Trump’s broader efforts to expand presidential control over spending, trade, and the federal bureaucracy, often bypassing Congress and forcing the courts to test the limits of executive power.