The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is Reviewing the Trump Administration Freeze on Ukraine Military Aid. The Watchdog is Examining whether the Administration Violated Appropriations Law by Failing to Notify Congress of the Ukraine Aid Holdup. Another possible Obstruction of Congress Impeachment Article.
Congress’ Nonpartisan Watchdog said Thursday it is Reviewing the Trump Administration’s Decision this summer to Hold Up Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Military Aid for Ukraine to determine whether Officials Violated Appropriations Law by Not Notifying Congress of the Hold.
It was First Reported in August about a Freeze placed on $250 Million in Funds meant to Help Ukraine deter Russian Aggression, despite the Money already having been Appropriated by Congress.
The Hold, ended up to be $391 Million, which numerous Administration Officials have suggested in Testimony was Conditioned on Ukraine Agreeing to start Investigations into Trump’s Political Rivals, is at the heart of the Ongoing impeachment Probe in the House for possible Bribery.
Word of the Hold was reportedly handed down from Trump in July, days before Trump Spoke on the Phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and asked for Investigations into the Biden Family and Events surrounding the 2016 Election.
The White House then Acquiesced to Bipartisan Pressure, and when the Situation came to Light, and just before the Funds was set to Expire at the End of the Fiscal Year, and Raised Alarms on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, and in the Pentagon, which said it Supported the Aid Package.
Trump has offered Differing Explanations for Pausing the Aid, saying at First that he wanted to ensure Ukraine was Sufficiently Addressing Issues of Corruption before Claiming he wanted other European Allies to Step Up their own Aid Contributions.
A Spokesman for the GAO Confirmed that the Agency is Reviewing whether the Administration Violated Appropriations Law by Failing to Notify Congress of the Development after Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) Requested the Review during a Senate Budget Committee Hearing last week.
Chuck Young, GAO’s Managing Director of Public Affairs, said the Agency does Not yet have a Time Frame for Completing the Review. The Review is a Request for a Legal Opinion rather than an Investigation, because the Agency does Not have Subpoena or Enforcement Power.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Denied that the Freeze Violated any Laws. “As has been well documented, we fully complied with the law and decades of precedent with respect to these funds,” OMB Communications Director Rachel Semmel. “Congress is notified if the administration intends to rescind, defer, reprogram or transfer funding, but in this case none of those things occurred and the funding was obligated as planned.”
In Last Week’s Hearing, Van Hollen asked Comptroller, General Gene Dodaro, to Outline what kind of Recourse Congress would have if the Executive Branch Violated Appropriations Law by Declining to Notify Lawmakers, even if the Money Ended Up being Spent.
“At Sen. Van Hollen’s urging, the GAO is looking into this critical issue — an important development following this troubling move by the Administration,” said Bridgett Frey, Van Hollen’s Spokeswoman, noting that the Budget Committee also “voted yesterday on a bipartisan basis to strengthen the Impoundment Control Act and ensure we prevent this abuse in the future.”
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