GOP Senator Accuses Trump of ‘Clear Violation of the Law’ As He Attempts to Cut Foreign Aid Funding

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Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) accused President Donald Trump of a “clear violation of the law” in a statement Friday over his recent attempt to cancel $4.9 billion in congressionally-approved foreign aid funding.

On Thursday night, the White House sent Congress a 15-page notification with plans to yank back the lawmaker-endorsed funds for foreign aid programs, invoking a legally untested power to do so — a pocket rescission. In other words, by waiting until late in the fiscal year, the Trump administration is attempting to leave lawmakers with too little time to reject the proposal before funding expires. The fiscal year ends September 30.

In her statement, Collins, also the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the move “an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval.”

Notably, Trump’s proposal involves a $445 million cut to U.S. funding of peacekeeping operations abroad and a $132 million cut to the Democracy Fund at the State Department.

While Collins has largely backed Trump’s agenda, in July, after she voted against the ‘Big Beautiful Bill, ‘ the president fired off a Truth Social post telling Republicans to “vote the exact opposite of Senator Susan Collins.”

Read Collins’ full statement below:

Congress has received from the Administration a $4.9 billion package of proposed rescissions of funding that had been previously appropriated for a wide range of foreign aid programs. Given that this package was sent to Congress very close to the end of the fiscal year when the funds are scheduled to expire, this is an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval.

GAO has concluded that this type of rescission is unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act. Article I of the Constitution makes clear that Congress has the responsibility for the power of the purse. Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.

Instead of this attempt to undermine the law, the appropriate way is to identify ways to reduce excessive spending through the bipartisan, annual appropriations process. Congress approves rescissions regularly as part of this process. In fact, the year-long funding bill that we are currently operating under includes 70 rescissions. This month, the Appropriations Committee intends to markup the Fiscal Year 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill. The annual funding bill is the most appropriate way to ensure that any rescissions reflect the views of Congress.