U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated a plan to cut $5 billion in congressionally-approved foreign aid, the White House announced Friday—escalating the risk of a federal government shutdown as Democrats push back against the move.

The proposed cuts target programs under the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to a letter Trump sent to the House of Representatives.

“The president will always put AMERICA FIRST,” the White House Office of Management and Budget posted on social media, releasing the letter publicly.

Trump has long aimed to curtail foreign aid, and since returning to office in January for a second term, he has aggressively sought to restructure large portions of the U.S. government. USAID—originally established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to project American influence during the Cold War—has effectively been folded into the State Department after Secretary of State Marco Rubio slashed 85% of its programs.

Rubio praised Trump’s latest move, calling it a step toward “rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse,” and claimed the targeted funds included money for global LGBTQ awareness initiatives.

But the proposal has sparked immediate backlash. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the action illegal, describing Trump’s use of a rarely invoked legislative maneuver—known as a pocket rescission—as a “backdoor” cut that undermines Congress’s power of the purse.

“It’s clear neither Trump nor Congressional Republicans have any plan to avoid a painful and entirely unnecessary shutdown,” Schumer said.

Even some moderate Republicans have voiced concerns, warning against halting funding that Congress has already approved.

The timing of the rescission is also critical. With the fiscal year ending September 30, Trump appears to be banking on the delay preventing Congress from acting in time to block the cuts. Democrats argue this tactic will jeopardize ongoing budget negotiations and could trigger a government shutdown.

While Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, they still need Democratic support in the Senate to pass new spending bills.

The U.S. narrowly avoided a shutdown in March, resolving the standoff just hours before the deadline. Shutdowns, though infrequent, have significant consequences: national parks, monuments, and federal offices close, and nearly 900,000 government workers may be furloughed. Another one million deemed essential—such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers—must work without pay until a funding resolution is passed.