Posted on 01/16/2020 7:56:49 AM PST by lowbridge
The Trump administrations 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 presidents 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 ...
good one :)
This out of the blue?? F it!! These people are EVILLLLLL and cunning!! The senate has NO EFFIN CHANCE!!! They are trying to tie the senates hands..the house never gave trump an opportunity to make his case soooooo EFFIN senate better not give the evil cheating lying demonKKKrats a chance!!! They will use these new revelation for campaigning purposes! They have failed miserably !!
Now we know what Pelosi was waiting for. She waited to release the Articles of Impeachment until this GAO report was ready to be released.
Unfortunately, this is a BIG deal.
.... No, its not. Another lame attempt to manufacture a crime. Dont be too disappointed.
“The Senate has no oversight of the executive branch and the CIA backed coupists? Interesting theory. I hadnt heard that one before.”
Not sure why you sent this to me. I never said anything about what you have said in your post.
I said the Senate and in fact the Executive Branch have no control over the House. The 3 branches of gov are entirely independent.
Too many kids of politicians would be inconvenienced if the money laundering pipeline was delayed by a few weeks...got some big mortgage payments, yacht payments and cartel suppliers who dont take kindly to not being paid on time.
Well obviously they have the power to create the ‘illusions’ they’re doing and will continue to do. How voters ‘perceive’ what they’re being fed is still in play regardless of how ignorant or not they are. The idea is to create “doubt”....which goes all the way back to the garden of Eden.
No, it is not a big deal. The OMB is an Executive Office— and the dispersal of funds under the direction of the Executive, is not discernible to the Govt. Accounting Office. Simply put— there is NO, zero way, that the GAO can ascribe “intent” of the Executive from the OMB’s financial “report/feedback” to them. That is NOT in the ledger books/software. The funds were withheld— that is all they know. They also know the funds were then re-committed 2 weeks later-— neither events having any “reason” to them.
This is simply demonrat embeds in the GAO timing their own OPINION spin with the .......ooooooooh, “impeachment” which does not describe withhold of funds as being impeachable (because, in fact, they are NOT impeachable).
You probably don’t recall the Boland Amendment of Congress that “became” a mechanism for “impeachment” of Reagan over the funding of the Contras. They could not be, any more than the sale of non-funcitoning weapons to iran to come up with cash for the Contras, was. OK? Executive funds released by Congress to the Executive, are the Executive’s to control and disburse— not the direction of Congress as a “law” that is directed solely to the Executive.
Now observe how the dems are twisting and gaming the words. They are total, corrupt, and desperate lying shite. Walking pestilence of our Constitution. They will pay— one way or another, as will their street thugs the AntiFA fascists.
Bolton is not the Chief Executive, nor is/was he the Commander in Chief. See how that works?
Bolton was FIRED for directing troops in re: Turkish/Kurd border crossing. He directed troop movements without the command of the CIC, the President.
The little prick is an active agent in mil-industrial war continuance, to F with a process that stabilizes the entire region and gets rid of the need for constant trillions spent to prop up Beltway military supply bandits.
You can agree all you want— the President has a timeline to authorize the expenditure— and he was well inside it. Period. Game over. As is this trolling hack beltway “freeper”. FReepers see right through this— ones who have been here more than 15 years, that is.
The dems making this up as they go along— to continue the bridge building to Romney et al so their own Panama Papers don’t expose them. Lying sacks of shite— all of them, especially the Bolton’s of the world. Trump will not play.
Trump will expose McCain’s and Graham’s money from Benghazi first (which is, after all what Graham is worried about). Please don’t forget Gowdy is from SC as federal prosecutor— and he is privately employed now by the President. Bodies, and burial locations. Graham is being primaried, btw.
I don’t disagree that Bolton had no say so to release funds.
Yes, he’s a warmonger.
My point was that the funds were released prior to the 9/30 deadline, and that, in fact OMB was reviewing them prior to that, especially in consideration of the Ukraine-US Treaty to combat corruption.
As military aid, I do not understand how people would expect no review.
I have been here just over 15 years. Being angry with me is moot.
More backstabbing by the entrenched cabal. Abolish these losers.
Thank you for that.
When you start taking flak you are over the target. Trump is taking Swamp Flak from all directions which indicates he is right over the target (IMHO)
Yup. Barr needs to deliver.
They want to go put in a blaze glory, we are going to have some fun.
You misunderstand— haven’t time to be angry. The concern: Accuracy of the facts. Posters here are simply-— wrong. OK?
The point is about GAO, not OMB. To the extent that EITHER organization can represent any LEGALLY correct review of the fund’s treatment. The Chief Executive has Article 2 powers that are Constitutionally clear— not to be adjudicated by lower level bureacrats who are democrat lightweight lemmings, following orders of the machine. The posting is worthless, except to the trolls and towel biters. Bye.
It doesn’t matter what the law says. The constitution does not give the legislative branch that power. They can stipulate it be spent by a certain time - but they cannot force it to be spent.
That’s something for the Supreme Court to sort out. Until then, the law stipulates that Congressionally legislated spending must be completed by end of fiscal year, unless Congress specifically extends the deadline (which it did in this case) or rescinds the spending (which, if done, rescinding legislation must be completed within 45 days of request to do so, else it must be spent by EoFY).
It’s a sensible concern either way. If our representatives decide $X should be spent on Y, it should be done. If our executive can achieve the purpose for less than $X, all the better. Things get weird when Congress deems it should be spent, and President flat-out refuses to; yes Supreme Court should sort that out.
The law doesnt say it has to be spent. It says if it is to be spent it must be spent by the end of the fiscal year. Otherwise you lose it. No obligation to spend it. Congress only allocates. Congress can rescind it as well if it chooses.
All this hyperbola would go away if people were still given a reasonable education in how govt works. But today we raise a bunch of ignorant gimmedats.
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