US President Donald Trump has told House Speaker Mike Johnson that he will not 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 for the first time in nearly 50 years. That is when a president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds towards the end of the financial year, so that Congress…