Judge instructs budget office to disclose details on spending choices

Budget Office Required to Reissue Spending Information

WASHINGTON – The White House Budget Office is set to re-launch its website by Friday, which details how it plans to spend the funding approved by Congress. This move follows a recent federal court ruling.

According to an opinion from the U.S. DC Circuit Court of Appeals filed on Saturday, the request from the Trump administration to delay a lower court’s ruling has been denied. This ruling mandates that expenditure decisions, often referred to as bookings, be made public once again.

In her written opinion, Circuit Judge Karen Lecraft Henderson stated, “Allowing executives to appeal pending stays in this Powers Separation Standoff would effectively cut down the leash of Congress’ wallets.” She emphasized that, “The President will not permit unauthorized directives to troops, and we shouldn’t wait for Congress while those in charge violate the essential oversight concerning budget and transparency.” Henderson believes that the balance of powers established by the Constitution should be maintained, especially as spending continues to impact citizens.

Henderson was appointed to the Circuit Court in 1990 after being nominated as a federal district judge by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, though she was later appointed by President George HW Bush.

Cerin LindGrensavage, an attorney with Protect Democracy Project, which was part of the lawsuit, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. She remarked, “Restoring this website is crucial at this time, especially after the recent reporting uncovering how the OMB has been using allocation footnotes to manage funding.”

The Office of Management and Budget did not respond immediately to inquiries from reporters on Monday. When asked whether the Justice Department plans to challenge the ruling, their response was noncommittal.

OMB Website Taken Down

During the Biden administration, Congress had been pushing for transparency from the OMB regarding the usage of taxpayer dollars.

In March, White House budget director Russell Vought decided to take the website down, prompting two separate lawsuits from citizens advocating for ethics and democracy.

U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan ruled in late July that the OMB must restore its website, indicating that Congress is entitled to receive clear information about how taxpayer dollars are allocated throughout the year.

He stated, “There’s nothing unconstitutional about requiring Congress to inform the public on how it allocates funds. Therefore, the defendant must stop violating the law!”