River Bend Times

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has urged Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to reinstate a website that lists funds appropriated by Congress and subsequently spent by the Trump Administration. The portal, which was removed, provided public access to details about when and where these appropriations were made available for expenditure—a process known as "apportionment." This publication requirement was mandated by Congress in 2022 following the Trump Administration's illegal withholding of funds from Ukraine in 2019.

"Having a public record of where taxpayer dollars are spent is critical to ensuring the Trump Administration is following the law. Unilaterally impounding funds is illegal, and Trump and Vought are trying to hide that they are gutting the federal government piece by piece," stated Senator Merkley. He emphasized that transparency in executive spending was legislated in response to previous illegal activities during Trump's first term. "The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and the President is not a king."

During his nomination hearings before both the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Vought pledged adherence to legal requirements for public posting of all apportionments. Under former OMB Director Shalanda Young during the Biden Administration, this practice was maintained without compromising national security.

Vought, who played a significant role in Trump's Project 2025, has become an ally of Elon Musk in efforts perceived as undermining federal operations. With Vought's support, Musk has reportedly engaged in unlawful dismissals of thousands of federal employees while initiating extensive reductions within federal agencies. Previously, Vought expressed intentions to subject federal workers to "trauma."