The White House proposed another budget “rescission” on Friday, which would cancel roughly $5 billion in U.S. foreign aid funding that Congress already approved in previous fiscal years, but which the Trump administration has deemed wasteful in its broadside attack on global development programs.
This proposal builds on the cancellation of roughly $8 billion in foreign aid funding earlier this summer, but adds an additional wrinkle. Because it was submitted so close to the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, the funds in question will expire regardless of whether Congress votes for or against the administration’s request.
This controversial maneuver — known as a “pocket rescission” — has not been used since 1977, and is poised to intensify the battle over whether the Trump administration’s aggressive budget cuts violate the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress authority over federal spending.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
