"The US Constitution grants Congress the power to allocate spending and requires the White House to get congressional approval if it does not wish to fund government operations. However, Trump bypassed Congress with a "pocket rescission," a little-known procedure that has not been used in nearly 50 years. Near the end of the fiscal year, the president requests not to spend approved funds and because lawmakers cannot act in a mandated 45-day time frame, the money goes unspent. This fiscal year ends on September 30."
"Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who oversees spending legislation as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called Trump's move illegal. "Instead of this attempt to undermine the law, the appropriate way is to identify ways to reduce excessive spending," she said. "Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law." The White House said Trump has a "solid legal basis" for the maneuver."
President Donald Trump cancelled $4.9 billion of congressionally approved foreign aid and said he would "put AMERICA FIRST!" The funds cover 15 international programs. Trump used a pocket rescission, a rarely used procedure that lets the president request not to spend approved funds near the fiscal-year end; if Congress cannot act within a mandated 45-day period, the money remains unspent. The fiscal year ends on September 30. Some moderate Republicans and Democrats opposed the move. Senator Susan Collins called the action illegal. The White House asserted the president has a solid legal basis. Democrats warned the cuts increase the likelihood of a federal shutdown later in the year.
Read at www.dw.com
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