Trump Halts $4.9 Billion Foreign Aid Using Pocket Rescission

President Donald Trump has initiated a rare and legally contentious "pocket rescission" to cancel $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, including funds for USAID, the State Department, and U.N. peacekeeping operations. This maneuver, last used in 1977, allows the president to unilaterally withhold funds so close to the fiscal year-end that Congress cannot act within the 45-day window required for standard rescissions. The White House argues the move targets wasteful spending on climate and social programs, while critics, including Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, condemn it as an unconstitutional overreach that undermines Congress's power of the purse and could jeopardize bipartisan efforts to avoid a government shutdown. The Government Accountability Office has explicitly ruled that pocket rescissions violate the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, a position echoed by legal analysts who view Trump's action as unlawful. The administration contends the tactic is legally permissible and not unprecedented, despite its rarity and the ongoing legal challenges. This development intensifies the political and legal turmoil surrounding federal spending and the looming September 30 deadline for government funding.