President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Trump is effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch by using what’s known as a pocket rescission.

President Donald Trump has told House Speaker Mike Johnson that he won’t be spending US$4.9-billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch.

Trump, who sent a letter to Johnson on Thursday, is using what’s known as a pocket rescission – when a president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year, so Congress cannot act on the request in a 45-day timeframe and the money goes unspent as a result. It’s the first time in nearly 50 years a president has used one. The fiscal year draws to

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