US President Donald Trump has bypassed Congress to cut nearly $5 billion in funding earmarked for international aid. The move could spark a fight over who truly holds the power of the purse in the United States.
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.
Along with widespread Democratic disapproval for a tactic last used in 1977, some moderate Republican politicians have also expressed opposition to Trump’s effort.
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.
Democrats say aid cuts increase chance of shutdown
Democrats reacted negatively to the announcement, saying attempts to reverse funding that has previously been approved by Congress would destroy negotiations within the legislative body later in the year.
“It’s clear neither Trump nor Congressional Republicans have any plan to avoid a painful and entirely unnecessary shutdown,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democratic minority in the US Senate.
Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they require Democratic support in the Senate to pass new spending laws, meaning they could lead to a “shutdown” of government when the next fiscal bills come up for approval.
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