President Trump is seeking to claw back roughly $5 billion in congressionally approved funding for foreign aid programs using a “pocket rescission,” a rare use of presidential power that is likely to spur backlash on Capitol Hill and potential legal challenges.

Trump made the request in a letter sent to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) late Thursday. The White House is aiming to cut $4.9 billion in funds allocated to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an international aid effort that has been dismantled by the Trump administration.

The Impoundment Control Act (ICA) lays out rules governing that process and allows the administration to temporarily withhold funding for 45 days while Congress considers the request. If lawmakers opt not to approve the

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