White House plans to use 'pocket rescissions' to slash billions in foreign aid

The White House informed Congress of its plans to cut $4.9 billion in foreign aid funding through a seldom-used budgetary tactic dubbed “pocket rescissions,” two congressional sources tell NBC News. The rescissions process allows the executive branch to cancel funding or other actions lawfully approved by Congress. The process typically requires the White House to go back to Congress to ask for authorization to alter the appropriated funding. Congress approved a rescissions package in July that, among other things, canceled funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.