Government Accountability Office head Gene Dodaro testified that some agencies in the Trump administration have “not been responsive” as the nation’s top watchdog investigates if they are illegally impounding funds appropriated by Congress.
An independent, nonpartisan watchdog, the GAO monitors the executive branch’s actions. Dodaro was asked during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday about investigations into the Trump administration.
He said there are more than three dozen investigations underway but that only three agencies have given them the necessary information, calling out the Office of Management and Budget and Environmental Protection Agency for not being responsive.
“We have right now 39 different investigations underway. We’re trying to get the information from the agencies about what their legal position is for not expending the money. I’m looking forward to what I understand to be a submission by the administration of a recision package which will be following the Empowerment Control Act. So we’ll look at that. We’re monitoring all the litigation surrounding these areas that we’re investigating in,” Dodaro said during the hearing.
“Only three agencies so far have given us the information that we need. OMB’s not been responsive, nor EPA; a number of other agencies are due to get us information this week or next week,” Dodaro added.
He said once his agency receives information from the federal agencies, it can begin to analyze and make decisions, but if it does not get information, it may have to rely on information from lawsuit filings.
Dodaro said, “We can only be as efficient as we can get the information from the agencies.”
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE AUDITING MUSK-LED DOGE
The Trump administration’s alleged illegal impoundment of appropriated funds has been the subject of various lawsuits levied during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
The GAO revealed earlier this month that it is auditing the Department of Government Efficiency, which was set up by the Trump administration to evaluate federal agencies for fraud and waste to cut.