Trump Cancels Nearly $1 Billion in Approved Spending Using Pocket Rescission

President Donald Trump announced on September 25 his administration's move to cancel nearly $1 billion in federal spending previously approved by Congress, utilizing a pocket rescission.

The White House Office of Management and Budget described the funding cut as targeting the most harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens. The cuts, totaling $810 million according to some reports, include $567 million from Health and Human Services programs for refugees, asylees, and other migrants, which the administration claims are no longer necessary due to diminished illegal border crossings.

Additional cuts target $70 million from "Woke International Education" grants and fellowships, which the White House stated supported doctoral dissertations on queer and trans community building in foreign countries. A Department of Education program for migrant students, a Department of Justice office focused on reducing racial tensions, a business development initiative for minority entrepreneurs, and $56 million from Housing and Urban Development counseling services were also affected.

The administration noted some targeted organizations are led by former officials from the Barack Obama administration. A pocket rescission involves the president requesting Congress to cancel funds with insufficient time for the mandated 45-day legislative review before the fiscal year ends on September 30. Critics, including Senator Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, condemned the action as illegal and a usurpation of Congress's appropriations powers, stating it came without warning or consultation.

The Government Accountability Office also challenges the legality of this maneuver. Trump previously used a pocket rescission in 2025 to block about $4.9 billion in foreign aid, the first such use in nearly 50 years, which the Supreme Court declined to block at the time, giving weight to presidential authority in foreign affairs.