Trump Budget Official Dismisses ‘Partisan’ Oversight on Fund Withholding Claim

Trump Administration’s Funding Controversy

Las Vert, the White House’s director of management and budget, pushed back against Congressional watchdogs on Friday. He suggested that the Trump administration may have acted unlawfully by withholding funds meant for the Biden-era electric vehicle (EV) charging initiative.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), an impartial agency that serves Congress, released a non-binding statement on Thursday. This report concluded that the Department of Transportation (DOT) unlawfully froze new financial commitments for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant program. Vought criticized the GAO, saying that it was undermining the Trump administration’s efforts to save taxpayer money. This marks the initial tension between the White House and GAO during the current presidential term.

“It’s clear to us what’s coming in the next few months. The GAO, which operates semi-independently within the legislative branch, has a history of partisanship that dates back to the first term,” Vought mentioned on X, adding that they want to hinder their operations by characterizing everything as an issue.

Earlier this year, Trump’s DOT announced that it would halt new EV charging program funding in light of what it described as “inefficient guidance and performance failures,” affecting a $5 billion initiative. The aim of this program, established to support the rollout of EV charging infrastructure, was part of Biden’s infrastructure plan launched in 2021.

However, Biden’s Transportation Director, Pete Buttigieg, has struggled to implement the program effectively, leaving a majority of the allocated funds unused. In February, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy noted that only 1% of the funds had been spent, especially in states like California.

The GAO determined that the Trump administration had breached the 1974 Water Storage Management Act by freezing state obligations under the program. They indicated that the DOT is not allowed to withhold these funds from spending and must follow the program’s legal guidelines. While they cannot hold back funds outright, the DOT could suggest legislative changes for Congress to consider.

The GAO’s findings come amidst multiple investigations into how the Trump administration managed funds allocated by Congress. Gene Dodaro, the head of GAO and an Obama appointee, stated in April that at least 39 inquiries are currently looking into the administration’s funding freeze.

Vought dismissed the GAO’s findings as inconsequential, asserting that they are merely looking backward. He emphasized, “These are non-events; there are no actual results.”

In a previous instance, the GAO had ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully withheld aid to Ukraine in 2020, a decision leveraged by House Democrats during impeachment proceedings against the president.

Recently, Senate Republicans challenged the Biden administration’s exemption granted to California, which plans to ban new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stressed that this decision improperly shields Biden-era policies from scrutiny.