The White House has notified Congress of its plan to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid previously approved for programs under the State Department and USAID. The Trump Administration is seeking to employ a legally untested tactic called a “pocket rescission,” which would effectively cancel the funds by making the request so late in the fiscal year that lawmakers would be unable to reject it before the money expires. The move has drawn bipartisan criticism, with opponents calling it illegal. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated Friday, “Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.”