WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson that he won't spend $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, R-La., 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 time frame and the money goes unspent as a result.

It's the first time in almost 50 years a president has used one. The fiscal year draws to a close at the end of September.

The letter was posted Friday morning on the social media account of the White House Office of Management and Budget. It said the funding wou

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