Former President Donald Trump has directed the cancellation of $4.9 billion in foreign aid spending previously approved by Congress, invoking a little-used legal mechanism in an effort to bypass lawmakers and assert presidential authority.
Trump informed House Speaker Mike Johnson of the rescission on Thursday night, targeting funds earmarked for development assistance, peacekeeping missions, and contributions to international organizations, including the World Trade Organization, UNESCO, the OECD, and the International Labour Organization.
“The Trump administration is committed to getting America’s fiscal house in order by cutting government spending that is woke, weaponised and wasteful,” the White House said in a statement on Friday.
The directive employs the Impoundment Control Act’s so-called “pocket rescission,” a procedure that allows a president to cancel appropriated funds under certain conditions. This is the first time in 50 years that a president has attempted to use the measure to circumvent Congress. Lawmakers typically have 45 days to consider a rescission request, but by issuing the order near the fiscal year-end on September 30, the administration is seeking to lock up funds before they can be disbursed.
The move sparked immediate bipartisan criticism. Susan Collins, Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called it “a clear violation of the law,” while top Democrat Patty Murray described it as “an attempt by the White House to do an end run around Congress” and warned that no lawmaker should accept the “absurd, illegal ploy” to override their constitutional power.
Trump’s rescission would block $3.2 billion in development assistance, which the administration described as “endless handouts that allow recipient governments to eschew responsibilities to their own citizens,” alongside $393 million for US peacekeeping efforts and $521 million for international organization contributions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action on X (formerly Twitter), writing that the funding “violates the president’s America First priorities” and that the decision was aimed at putting “America and Americans first.”
The Government Accountability Office has previously ruled that pocket rescissions violate federal law. Russell Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget, considered using the measure during Trump’s first term but ultimately chose not to proceed.
Financial and political analysts warn that the directive could further inflame tensions in Congress, raising the risk of a government shutdown if lawmakers fail to pass a new funding package by October 1. Brendan Boyle, top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, called the action “an illegal power grab” that could drive the government toward a shutdown.
