President Donald Trump has decided not to utilize $4.9 billion in approved foreign aid, employing a strategy known as “pocket recission” for the first time in half a century. By submitting a request to Congress to refrain from spending the allocated funds towards the end of the fiscal year, Trump aims to prevent Congress from acting on the request within the 45-day timeframe, resulting in the funds remaining unspent. The fiscal year concludes at the end of September.
The Trump administration asserts that “pocket recission” is a legally permissible tool, with the last instance of this tactic occurring in 1977 under then-President Jimmy Carter. If this method becomes a regular practice for the White House, it could potentially circumvent Congress on significant spending decisions and potentially shift some control over spending away from the House and the Senate.
