Trump’s $4.9 Billion Foreign Aid Axe: A Trump-sized Tiny Hands Power Grab
Donald Trump is trying to cut $4.9 billion in foreign aid without Congress, using a sketchy maneuver that even the Government Accountability Office says is flat-out illegal.
The move—called a “pocket rescission”—is Trump’s latest attempt to bypass lawmakers by waiting until the fiscal year runs out so the funds just vanish. In other words, it’s not a clever budget hack; it’s legislative theft with a stopwatch. And before you get too excited about the “savings,” remember this amounts to a whopping 0.1% of the federal budget. Gold star, Donnie.
Even some Republicans aren’t buying it. Senator Susan Collins, not exactly known for her radical stances, called it a “clear violation of the law.” Democrats, meanwhile, are warning the whole stunt could derail budget talks and set the stage for—you guessed it—another government shutdown. Because nothing says “fiscal responsibility” like lighting your own house on fire.
Chuck Schumer didn’t mince words, blasting the scheme as an “unlawful gambit to circumvent Congress altogether.” With all due respect (which means none at all), Chucky, you haven’t earned the right to weigh in here. You are a weak motherfucker.
Human rights groups added that slashing U.S. aid to the U.N. and conflict zones like Somalia will only fuel instability, which sounds an awful lot like the opposite of “America First.” But hey, why solve problems abroad when you can create new ones for future administrations to mop up?
So here we are: The White House stretching the Impoundment Control Act1 like it’s a cheap pair of sweatpants (gotta get ‘em over those fat cankles!), lawsuits piling up, and the Supreme Court likely waiting in the wings to lick Donald’s butthole—again!
Trump may call it “draining the swamp,” but at best this looks like draining the piggy bank for a headline.
Source: Wall Street Journal (gift article)
Funny how the guy who promised to run government like a business keeps proving he’d bankrupt it by Tuesday.
Back in the Nixon years (shocker), the president had a habit of just refusing to spend money Congress had already appropriated. Congress said, “uh, no,” because the Constitution gives them the power of the purse, not the White House. So in 1974, after Watergate weakened Nixon’s grip, they passed the ICA to stop presidents from unilaterally choking off funds they didn’t like.