WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government's watchdog agency said Thursday a White House office violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine.
The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up the aid. The freeze is at the center of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The independent agency, which reports to Congress, said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act in delaying the security assistance Congress authorized for Ukraine for “policy reasons,” rather than technical budgetary needs.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” wrote the agency's general counsel, Thomas Armstrong, in the report.
OMB has argued the hold was appropriate and necessary.
“We disagree with GAO's opinion. OMB uses its apportionment authority to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent consistent with the President's priorities and with the law," said OMB spokeswoman Rachel Semmel.
Trump was impeached last month on charges of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rivals, as he was withholding the aid, and for obstructing Congress' ensuing probe. The Senate is set to begin its trial on Thursday.
A woman has taken command of the U.S.S. Constitution for the first time in its 224-year history. Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell on Friday became the 77th commanding officer of the warship that earned the nickname Old Ironsides.
China has flown 39 warplanes toward Taiwan in its largest such sortie of the new year, amid tensions over the island's future.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to convert his first paycheck this week into two cryptocurrencies.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday reversed her position on efforts from rank-and-file members to restrict or ban members of Congress from trading stock in individual companies while in office.
The 40-page paper was widely seen as the first step in doing just that, but the document provides only partial hints as to if the Fed is supportive of a central bank digital currency.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced on Tuesday that 261 million individuals, or about a fifth of the country's population, have now set up digital yuan wallets.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in three months as the fast-spreading omicron variant disrupted the job market.
At a Wednesday news conference to mark his first year in office, President Joe Biden is admitting that the pandemic has exhausted and demoralized many Americans.
Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a policy it announced earlier this month.
The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week.
