08.29.25

Merkley Blasts Trump Administration for Invoking Illegal Maneuver to Claw Back Bipartisan, Congressionally Appropriated Foreign Aid

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement after President Donald Trump announced plans to use an illegal, unconstitutional tactic known as a “pocket recission” to cancel billions in funding that Congress has appropriated.

“Trump just made it clear that he is going to use an illegal and unconstitutional tactic known as a ‘pocket rescission’ to claw back bipartisan, congressionally appropriated funding. Republicans should be appalled that the longstanding, bipartisan work of Congress is once again going to be trampled on by an Administration that thinks it can do whatever it wants, checks and balances be damned. Trump and his Budget Chief Russ Vought are planning to execute this unlawful pocket rescission by withholding critical foreign aid and running out the clock on the end of the fiscal year, permanently cancelling Congressionally-mandated funds without Congressional approval.

“Illegally making permanent $4.9 billion in Elon Musk DOGE cuts to foreign aid solves no problems. This isn’t cutting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’; it’s cutting contributions to international peacekeeping forces, to democracy promotion, and to aiding the most vulnerable people in the world. These are cuts to American ‘soft power’ - the essential investments we make to strengthen alliances and prevent ‘forever wars.’

“That is why every step of the way in writing the annual appropriations package, I have introduced an amendment that would prevent the Trump Administration from undermining another bipartisan agreement through the Impoundment Control Act. My Republican colleagues still have time to join me and reaffirm that Congress controls the federal budget, not Donald Trump and not Russ Vought,” said Merkley.

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