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.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, July 26, 2019.
Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer during the George W. Bush administration, says Democrats should still open an impeachment inquiry into the president despite the tepid response to Mueller's testimony.
Amid ongoing resistance from employees about Microsoft’s contracts with the U.S. military, CEO Satya Nadella issued a broad defense this week of the company’s work with the U.S government and said America’s democratic process serves as a key check on the deployment of new technology.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, July 25, 2019.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, July 24, 2019.
With all eyes on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller began his much-anticipated testimony by largely repeating what he outlined in April in his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, - but stating very clearly that in the investigation, “the president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed.”
Tuesday’s 97-2 vote in the Senate to extend permanent protections for 9/11 first responders came after many years of activists' visits to Capitol Hill. And minutes after the lopsided vote, responder John Feal made sure to alert lawmakers that his days of tirelessly knocking down their doors are thankfully coming to a close, saying, "We’ll put down our swords."
With a vote of 97-2, the Senate passed a bill Tuesday that will fund the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund through 2090.
Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are protesting in the streets of San Juan, calling for embattled governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign. Victoria Leandra, Journalist and Producer at VICE News, joined Cheddar to discuss the latest.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, July 23, 2019.
