Rabat – The Trump administration intends to cancel around $4.9 billion (MAD 53.9 billion) in foreign aid for 2025 that Congress had already approved, including U.S. contributions to the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
“Last night, President Trump CANCELED $4.9 billion (MAD 53.9 billion) in U.S. foreign aid using a pocket rescission,” the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a post on X, adding that Trump “will always put AMERICA FIRST!”
In a roughly 20-page document sent to Congress, the White House outlined its plan to reclaim funds already allocated for foreign aid programs through a pocket rescission, a rare procedure that allows the executive branch to reduce spending without legislative approval.
This represents the Trump administration’s first attempt to use the pocket rescission process, which involves reclaiming previously allocated funds late in the fiscal year, leaving Congress insufficient time to reject the request before the funding deadline passes. The U.S. fiscal year ends on September 30, well before the 45-day period Congress has to review a rescission request expires.
The bulk of the proposed cuts—$3.2 billion (MAD 35.2 billion) — affects development programs run by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Other reductions include:
- $521 million (MAD 5.7 billion) in U.S. contributions to international organizations, including the UN and its specialized agencies.
- $445 million (MAD 4.9 billion) in funding for peacekeeping operations (PKO).
- $393 million (MAD 4.3 billion) in funding for the International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) program.
If the White House makes this a standard practice, the president could bypass Congress on major spending decisions, potentially disrupting efforts in both the House and Senate to secure government funding for the start of the next fiscal year in October.
The move is expected to have wide-reaching implications for U.S. foreign assistance programs, international organizations, and ongoing peacekeeping initiatives worldwide.
