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.
The Small Business Grants Program, revealed in a blog post on Tuesday morning, was created to keep workers working, help with rent costs, connect with more customers, cover operational costs. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Fed is reviving a program that it first used during the 2008 financial crisis to unclog a short-term lending market for what is known as “commercial paper.” Large businesses issue commercial paper to raise cash to meet payrolls and cover other short-term costs.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House Democrats will pass the $8.3 billion ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act’ today, though she did not mention support by Republicans or the White House.
Millions of voters in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois have already cast ballots for the 441 Democratic pledged delegates up for grabs in today and those who haven't are expected to head to the polls.
The guidelines mark the first attempt by the federal government to establish best practices for all Americans amid an avalanche of disparate state and local policies.
U.S. airlines are reportedly seeking as much as $50 billion in federal support as travel restrictions aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus have pushed the industry’s biggest players to the brink of bankruptcy.
The action came on the heels of an executive order by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, banning gatherings of 250 people or more across the state and shutting down schools.
Sen. Mitt Romney seems to be channeling former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang in his proposal to give every U.S. adult $1,000 to help them deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Gov. Cuomo revealed that there are now 950 confirmed cases in New York with 158 hospitalizations and seven death, along with a coordinated effort between New York and its neighboring states, New Jersey and Connecticut, in order to stem the increased spread of the COVID-19 disease.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, March 16, 2020.
