Posted on 01/16/2020 7:56:49 AM PST by lowbridge
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze the release of security assistance to Ukraine last year violated federal law, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report Thursday.
The independent watchdog said the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld the appropriated funds last summer, not as a programmatic delay but in order to advance the president’s own agenda.
Doing so, the watchdog concluded, violates the Impoundment Control Act, a law that governs Congress's role in the federal budget process.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” the report says. “OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). ... Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.”
The decision by the White House to withhold nearly $400 million in U.S. aid to Kyiv as the country fights pro-Russia separatists is at the center of impeachment proceedings in Congress against President Trump.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
They have been running rampit here the last 2 days.
The so called ruling just came out today. May have been one of the reasons Nancy was stalling. I am sure she knew this was going on, and probably had a hand in the report.
They are ok with the democrats taking massive bribes.
This is fundamentally incorrect. Congress can authorize money. The Executive is NOT obligated to spend it.
Troll not. Look at my post history. Been on FR for over 20 years.
The Senate has NO CONTROL over the actions of the House regarding impeachment or anything else. They can only act after an action taken by the House is formally passed on to them.
There is nothing on earth the Senate could have done to prevent the House from Impeaching Trump for whatever reason they determine.
Pelosi’s stalling after the impeachment articles were passed by the House makes even less sense now. She would have been better off holding the impeachment vote TOMORROW instead of in December.
The Senate has NO CONTROL over the actions of the House regarding impeachment or anything else. They can only act after an action taken by the House is formally passed on to them.
There is nothing on earth the Senate could have done to prevent the House from Impeaching Trump for whatever reason they determine.
The Senate has no oversight of the executive branch and the CIA backed coupists? Interesting theory. I hadn’t heard that one before.
“The Dems have their smoking gun.”
The Dems have smoke, and a gun.
They’re blowing smoke, and the gun is a prop.
The law in question says POTUS can delay spending for 45 days to get Congress to rescind the spending. Past that, Comptroller General may give 25 days notice that he will sue (civil) to compel the spending.
The law in question does NOT say POTUS _must_ commence spending within 45 days.
Contrast this with the law in question stating that POTUS _must_ COMPLETE spending by end of fiscal year, unless otherwise extended (which Congress did).
There’s another interpretation which is even more charitable, interpreting the 45 days as the time which Congress has to respond to a rescindment request.
This is not a “smoking gun”.
The GAO honcho would be in front of a Senate committee monday morning and under oath If we had a functioning GOP.
This is not a “smoking gun”.
Correct. It’s a fig leaf the GOP Never Trumpers will hide behind for a few days while they demand more witnesses and deny POTUS a robust defense.
“The Executive is NOT obligated to spend it.”
Actually, per the law indicated, he is.
The obligation is that it be completed by the end of fiscal year (a deadline which Congress explicitly extended for Trump, covering this particular spending).
I just heard Ms. Pelosi citing the admonishing on the radio - referring to the “budget ‘empowerment’ Act.”
Dropped the day after articles are transmitted. Transparently choreographed. The Dems are playing the GOP like a fiddle.
So the GAO is judge & jury?
Please zot this troll.
Are they finished?
Well then, allow me to retort!
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