The White House budget office on Thursday evening sent a proposal to trim unspent foreign assistance funds by “north of $4 billion” to the State Department for review, according to a senior administration official.

The final price tag of the rescissions package, which could also target unspent balances at the U.S. Agency for International Development, would likely change before being formally submitted to Capitol Hill, the official said.

[White House foreign aid cuts to spare Ivanka, Pence favorite programs]

The foreign aid community has been bracing for the rescissions request, which could be sent to Congress within days, because it could effectively cancel previously appropriated funds even without action by lawmakers.

Under the 1974 budget law, the executive branch can only eliminate unspent funds after Congress clears and the president signs implementing legislation. Lawmakers have 45 legislative session days after the rescissions package is submitted to do so, during which time the targeted funds are frozen. But with authority to spend the money set to expire after Sept. 30 regardless, submission of the request would essentially be an end-run around Congress because the State Department and USAID won’t get a chance to obligate the funds.