We’re suing to force the executive branch to disclose how it’s spending taxpayer dollars

Congress requires the White House to show the receipts on where it’s spending taxpayer money

Apportionments are an essential part of how the federal government operates. Congress passes government funding bills that tell the executive branch how much money it must spend for different purposes. Apportionments are the White House’s way of doling out the money to federal agencies — sort of like an allowance. They are legally binding plans, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), that tell agencies how and when they may spend the funds Congress has appropriated. Agencies generally cannot actually spend money until they receive an apportionment.

Ensuring spending transparency is a longstanding, bipartisan concern

When Congress enacted this apportionment transparency requirement — on a bipartisan basis — it sought to protect its constitutional power of the purse and strengthen oversight of federal spending. In 2022, that law received support from organizations across the ideological spectrum. In recent weeks, those organizations and others — including R Street, National Taxpayers Union, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the Project on Government Oversight, and Protect Democracy — have joined together again to express concern about OMB’s decision to take down its apportionment site, call on OMB to comply with the law, and express doubt about OMB Director Vought’s stated explanation for the change.