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2d ago

White House Moves to Cancel Nearly $5 Billion in Foreign Aid Using Pocket Rescission

The maneuver sets up a legal clash over Congress’s control of federal spending.

Activists protest Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, as he testifies before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, on Capitol Hill in June.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise applaud as President Donald Trump holds a gavel after signing the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," at the White House on July 4.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro speaks with reporters at the US Capitol in July.
Sen. Susan Collins speaks to reporters at the US Capitol in June.

Overview

  • The Office of Management and Budget notified Congress it is pursuing a pocket rescission to void roughly $4.9–$5 billion before funds expire on Sept. 30, short-circuiting the usual 45-day review window.
  • The Government Accountability Office says pocket rescissions are illegal because they bypass Congress’s appropriations authority under the Impoundment Control Act.
  • Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins publicly objected, calling the move unlawful and an affront to the power of the purse, while Democrats warn it endangers prospects for a funding deal.
  • Ten former senior budget and appropriations aides from both parties urged Congress to reject the tactic, comparing it to an unconstitutional line-item veto and warning it increases shutdown risk.
  • Targeted accounts include $3.2 billion for USAID Development Assistance, $322 million for the Democracy Fund, $521 million for contributions to international organizations, $393 million for UN peacekeeping, and $445 million for Peacekeeping Operations, which OMB defends as wasteful spending.