In a letter sent Thursday to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, President Donald Trump said he would not be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid — effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch. The letter was posted Friday morning on the X account of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Trump’s move rests on a tool not used in nearly 50 years, known as a pocket rescission: A president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year so that Congress can’t act on the request in the 45-day timeframe, and the money goes unspent as a result. The fiscal year draws to a close at the end of September.

Such a move, if standardized by the White House, could effectively bypass Congress on key spending choices and potentially wrest some control over spending from the House and the Senate.

Other news we’re following today:

Trump stops Kamala Harris’ Secret Service protection: Former vice presidents typically get federal government protection for six months after leaving office, but then-President Joe Biden had extended protection for Harris until July 2026. Trump’s move to drop it, revealed Friday by a senior White House official, comes ahead of Harris’ book tour for her memoir.U.S. revokes visas of Palestinian officials ahead of UN General Assembly: The officials were part of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization, two groups that had been previously represented at the assembly. In a statement, the State Department said Friday that Rubio had also ordered that some new Palestinian official visa applications be denied.Jim O’Neill to serve as acting CDC director: Two administration officials said O’Neill, the second-in-command at the Department of Health and Human Services, would supplant Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist, whose firing left the agency reeling earlier this week. O’Neill is a former investment executive who also served at the federal health department under President George W. Bush. He does not have a medical background.