Trump officials improperly withheld funds for advanced energy office
A federal watchdog says the Trump administration improperly withheld funding from a Department of Energy (DOE) research office this year ahead of proposed funding cuts for the office.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the Trump administration violated federal spending laws when it did not allocate $91 million in appropriated funding this year for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which researches advanced energy.
Once GAO informed DOE about the investigation, the department spent the funds, according to the GAO's report.
In his first budget, President Trump proposed drawing down funding for ARPA-E and eventually shutting down the office by 2019.
Earlier this year, ARPA-E withheld $91 million in funds it was obligated to spend, a move that caught the eye of congressional Democrats. Lawmakers, including Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), asked the GAO to investigate the matter.
In a report sent to Congress late Tuesday, GAO said ARPA-E officials told investigators that “the Department of Energy had directed ARPA-E to withhold the obligation” in light of Trump’s proposed cuts, which Congress did not follow through on.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/364679-watchdog-trump-administration-improperly-withheld-funds-for
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