President Donald Trump has taken a rare and contentious step by unilaterally moving to cancel $4.9 billion in federal funding authorized by Congress.
The funds targeted are allocated for 15 international programs, including some managed by the State Department and USAID.
The big picture: Trump communicated his decision in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, posted publicly late Thursday.
- The U.S. Constitution assigns funding authority explicitly to Congress, which yearly enacts laws to finance government operations.
- According to established procedure, the White House must gain Congressional approval to withhold or cancel authorized expenditures.
Go deeper: In contrast, Trump’s budget director, Russell Vought, contends the president can withhold funds up to 45 days without Congress, delaying expenditure until the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
- This tactic to unilaterally block funding has not been used since 1983, per analysis by Project Democracy, a nonpartisan group.
- Democrats argue the administration has frozen more than $425 billion in funding overall, sparking legal and political disputes.
- Meanwhile, Republicans, like House Speaker Johnson, have expressed support for reducing spending regardless of the method.
