Boyle Statement on Court Victory Requiring Trump Administration to Restore Public Access to Budget Data

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after a federal court ruled that the Trump administration has been violating the law by hiding records of apportionments from the public. In March, Boyle slammed the White House’s illegal removal of this information.

"Today’s ruling is a major win for transparency and for Congress’s power of the purse. The courts have affirmed that the American people have a right to know how President Trump is using their money and what he may be trying to hide. This decision leaves no doubt: the data must be public."

Background:

• Apportionments are legally binding plans issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that govern how federal agencies spend funds appropriated by Congress. Removing public access to these records was not only a violation of the law, but also a serious blow to transparency and accountability in federal spending.
• The White House is legally required to maintain a public database of all apportionments (PL 117-103 as amended by PL 117-328).
• These reforms improved public oversight and strengthened Congress’s power of the purse following the first Trump administration’s illegal withholding of funds.
• Public access to apportionment information is a bipartisan desire. Last June, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee suggested making the OMB apportionment site more user friendly, improving the public's access to the information.
• Despite dubious claims from the White House that this information is being withheld to protect national security, current law already allows the apportionment database to exclude classified material. Also, the White House’s assertion that preliminary information was being disclosed is simply false. The law is clear: once an apportionment is approved by OMB, it must be posted to the database within two days.
• The overarching purpose of the apportionment process is to prevent deficiencies — i.e., to make sure agencies use time-limited appropriations at an appropriate pace (so that, for example, a program does not run out of money before the fiscal year is over) and use appropriations available for an indefinite time period effectively and economically.  
• Apportionments generally divide amounts by specific time period or among projects or activities. They may contain footnotes, which provide additional direction to agencies and are also legally binding. After funding has been apportioned, agencies decide how to further allocate it, provided that such decisions are consistent with the apportionment and enacted law.

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