President Donald Trump has chosen to withhold $4.9 billion in approved foreign aid without congressional authorization, utilizing a strategy known as “pocket recission.” This move marks the first instance of such action in 50 years, following a similar maneuver by former President Jimmy Carter in 1977. The Trump administration asserts the legality of this approach, which involves submitting a request to Congress near the end of the fiscal year to not spend already allocated funds. By doing so, Congress lacks the opportunity to act on the request within the 45-day timeframe, resulting in the unspent funds. The current fiscal year concludes at the end of September.
Implementing this method could potentially allow the White House to sidestep Congress on crucial spending decisions and potentially gain more control over financial allocations previously under the purview of the legislative branch.