All articles tagged with #omb
The White House announced a 'pocket rescission' to cancel approximately $810 million to $1 billion in congressionally approved domestic spending, targeting refugee services, minority business initiatives, and education programs. The move, announced five days before the fiscal year ended, leaves Congress with insufficient time to review the cuts, sparking bipartisan condemnation over the erosion of legislative power.
President Trump has canceled $810 million in congressionally appropriated funds through a controversial 'pocket' rescission, targeting programs for illegal immigrants and race-focused initiatives. The move, executed with five days left in the fiscal year, bypasses the standard 45-day congressional review period and affects seven federal departments, including Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. While the administration argues the cuts are necessary due to reduced border crossings and ideological misalignment, the action faces potential legal challenges and criticism from the Government Accountability Office, which deems such late-year rescissions illegal. This is the second pocket rescission in nearly 50 years, following a similar move in 2025 that was upheld by the Supreme Court.
OMB directs agencies to adopt Login.gov as the default authentication and identity-verification method for most public-facing federal services within two years, with exemptions for certain systems and user groups; the policy aims to reduce duplicative identity checks, lower costs, and strengthen security, via a staged timeline, NIST guidance, and ongoing agency input.
Trump’s candidate Hal Duncan for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget won committee approval as Republicans push to confirm him, while Democrats criticize his inexperience and past approach to budget tools, amid broader debates over grant rules and fraud-fighting funding.
A federal judge ruled that the Office of Management and Budget cannot retroactively cancel billions in federal grant awards by applying post hoc goals, denying the Trump administration’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 20 states and others and signaling limits on retrospective terminations of grants.
The White House OMB proposed turning 2 CFR Part 200 into binding regulations, centralizing grant oversight with mandatory pre issuance reviews by political appointees and expanded power to terminate awards. Public comments show overwhelming opposition (about 94%), driven largely by unaffiliated individuals and scientists, while supporters mainly come from a single form letter campaign. Critics warn the move politicizes funding and undermines scientific peer review; supporters cite waste, fraud, and abuse controls. OMB must address substantive comments before finalizing, with a tight timeline toward an anticipated October effectiveness.
The White House is fast-tracking the U.S. shift to post‑quantum cryptography with a new executive order that requires agencies to appoint PQC leads within 30 days, move high‑value assets to quantum‑resistant keys by end‑2030 and adopt PQC digital signatures by end‑2031. NIST will launch a PQC migration pilot within 180 days, and OMB must issue new guidance within 90 days, while procurement reforms and centralized support are also mandated. While the move addresses long‑term security against quantum threats, experts warn funding gaps, data‑lifecycle concerns, and the scale of cloud, vendor, and contractor transitions present major challenges ahead.
During his confirmation hearing, OMB nominee Hal Duncan refused to promise the administration won’t use pocket rescissions to cancel funding without Congress, a tactic critics see as an end-run around Congress; the day’s updates also cover Todd Blanche’s Senate Judiciary confirmation process, scrutiny of a reported Iran deal memorandum, and other Capitol Hill budget and oversight actions.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, but disruption is already underway: staff are leaving, equipment is being sold, and key projects are paused as part of a broader effort to defund climate research, led by OMB Budget Director Russ Vought. The move has drawn bipartisan concern and could reshape U.S. weather and climate science, with implications for funding and leadership across agencies.
Ars Technica reports that proposed US grant rules would let political appointees overrule peer review, cancel any grant at any time if it’s not deemed in the “national interest,” ban funding on certain culture-war topics, restrict international collaborations, and require pre-approval for publication and conference costs—threatening scientific independence and international collaboration.
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to buy a $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 luxury jet for immigrant deportation flights and Cabinet travel, featuring a bedroom, showers, kitchen, bar and multiple TVs. DHS says the plane would save money by replacing costly military or charter flights, but critics question the necessity and purpose of such a luxury aircraft amid efforts to expand deportations and own deportation flights.
The White House Office of Management and Budget ordered a data-gathering review of federal funding for 14 Democratic-led states plus Washington, D.C., to map funding scope and potential fraud risk, with responses due by Jan. 28. States listed: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.; the memo says this is a data-collection exercise and does not withhold funds.
The article discusses the possibility of NASA issuing RIF (Reduction in Force) notices following a tweet by OMB Director Russell Vought, indicating potential budget cuts or layoffs at NASA, with the situation still uncertain.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) quietly removed references to a 2019 law guaranteeing backpay for furloughed federal workers from its shutdown guidance document, amid reports that the White House is developing guidance suggesting furloughed workers may not be entitled to backpay, despite the law's clear language. This change comes during a government shutdown affecting over 620,000 federal employees.
Russ Vought, a key figure behind the scenes in the Trump administration's response to the government shutdown, is known for his deep understanding of bureaucracy and his advocacy for significant federal budget cuts, including threatening mass layoffs during the shutdown.