White House indicates collaboration with chief overseer will occur when it does not encumber Trump's schedule excessively.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act regarding the withholding of funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by the Transportation Department.
The funding at issue involved $5 billion in grants for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The GAO's mission is to support Congress in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities, including its statutory responsibilities under the Impoundment Control Act.
In response to the GAO's findings, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) General Counsel Mark Paoletta sent a letter to the GAO. The letter stated that OMB will continue to cooperate with GAO, but in a manner that does not impede its ability to implement the President's agenda.
Paoletta, however, equated GAO's investigative work to an "invasion by an arm of Congress" into the internal deliberations of the executive branch. He also criticized GAO for asking too many questions of the White House.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has been accused of violating the Impoundment Control Act. In the past, the administration has denied such violations in multiple instances.
The GAO maintains a good relationship with the executive branch and seeks to avoid characterizations that could strain that relationship. It is focused on bipartisan congressional requests, and only a small fraction of its work involves the Office of Management and Budget.
It is important to note that DOT is not authorized to withhold these funds and must continue to follow the statutory requirements of the program. The GAO has the option to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for failing to comply with the impoundment law.
The current director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Shalanda Young, has been known for her criticism of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding its "voluminous, burdensome, and inappropriate" submissions into the executive branch. Paoletta also called GAO's investigative work "voluminous, burdensome and inappropriately invasive."
The OMB Director, Russ Vought, Trump, and other administration officials have expressed doubts about the constitutionality of the impoundment law and declined to commit to adhering to it. However, the GAO's findings highlight the importance of adhering to federal spending laws and the role of the GAO in ensuring compliance.
There are around 50 "open engagements" between GAO and the budget office. The GAO will continue to work with the OMB to address the concerns raised in its report and ensure compliance with federal spending laws.
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