President Donald Trump's decision to cancel nearly $5 billion in federal aid without congressional authorization appears to be a straightforward violation of federal law.

The White House announced Friday morning that Trump would nix $4.9 billion in foreign aid by simply refusing to spend the money. The so-called "pocket rescission" would include $3.2 billion from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and about $1.7 billion from various State Department programs that distribute funds to international organizations and peacekeeping efforts, according to The New York Post, which first reported on the maneuver.

While that spending might be wasteful or foolish, the president does not have the authority to refuse to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress—th

See Full Page