"Under the US Constitution, Congress controls federal spending. But in a letter posted online late Thursday, Trump notified House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that he planned to unilaterally withhold the $4.9bn in approved foreign spending. The tactic, known as a pocket rescission, would see Trump invoke a law that allows him to pause the spending for 45 days. That would, in turn, take the funding beyond the end of the September 30 fiscal year, causing it to expire."
"A court document filed on Friday said the money was earmarked for foreign aid, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and so-called democracy promotion efforts overseas. Most of it was meant to be overseen by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which Trump has largely dismantled and reorganised under US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The move comes as the United Nations and aid organisations have increasingly warned of the devastating fallout of US cuts."
President Donald Trump sought to cut another $5bn in foreign aid already approved by Congress by notifying Speaker Mike Johnson of a unilateral withholding of $4.9bn. The White House plans to use a pocket rescission that pauses spending for 45 days, pushing funds past the September 30 fiscal year end so they expire. The funding was earmarked for foreign aid, United Nations peacekeeping, and democracy promotion, largely overseen by USAID. Trump previously canceled $9bn in aid and public media funding. The United Nations and aid organisations warned of devastating fallout, with the UN announcing sweeping programme shrinkages amid deep funding cuts.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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