House Budget Committee Investigation Exposes Trump Admin’s Systemic Abuse of Executive Spending Authority
Washington, D.C.— Today, the House Budget Committee released a report charting President Trump and his Administration’s systemic and deliberate abuse of executive spending authority and the Committee’s work to investigate violations, hold the Trump Administration accountable, and reassert Congress’ power of the purse.
The report follows the publication of documents obtained by the House Committees on the Budget, on Appropriations, and on Oversight and Reform showing additional abuses of the apportionment process by President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) earlier this year, using an apportionment footnote to freeze accounts that fund United States’ contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The Trump Presidency has shown that if we wish to keep our democracy, we must guard it against those who would undermine it,” said Chairman Yarmuth. “Despite numerous legal decisions, warnings from Congress, and even an impeachment trial, our investigation found that President Trump continues to disregard our laws and abuse his executive powers for his own personal and political gain.
“These findings affirm the critical need for enacting the Congressional Power of the Purse Act, legislation I introduced earlier this year, to increase transparency and accountability, restore Congress’ Article I spending authorities, protect taxpayer dollars from abuse, and safeguard our nation’s separation of powers.”