[Part 2]
9)The President is required to submit a budget summary called a Mid-Session Review by July 15. This summary includes updated policy budget estimates and a list of rescission (cancellations).
10)From the very beginning of his administration, President Trump has made cutting the size of government spending a top priority.
The President was looking to cut $3 billion in foreign grants not yet assigned to specific projects.
11)In June, the President ordered a review of military aid to several countries.
Among the programs under review by OMB was the Ukraine Security Initiative which Congress allocated $250 million for in the National Defense Authorization Act
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6157/text …
12)Similarly, in August, OMB asked the State Dept to freeze spending for the USAID until it provided an accounting for 12 accounts
All previous funds would be unavailable effective 11:59pm Saturday August 3rd
Important date
13)The money was part of an appropriations bill passed at the start of the year, which included loan guarantees for Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Ukraine
Some of the accounts expired and contained unused funds the administration want to retrieve
14)In other words, the President has been trying to return to the taxpayer, billions of dollars just sitting in expired accounts
This is the President explaining at a rally Friday that he has been trying to get an accounting for 4 months on how many countries we are subsidizing
15)According to reports, in early Aug, Alexander Vindman drafted a memorandum to release cash to Ukraine and presented it to the President to sign. POTUS refused
Vindman said he was concerned after he learned that the OMB took “unusual steps” of withholding aid.
Raise your hands if you did not know who Alexander Vindman was two week ago? Who is Vindman to be telling a duly elected President when to release the people’s money?
Did Vindman receive 63 million votes?
This just one of the many swamp creatures in the Executive Branch.
At the same time, State Dept Coordinator for Assistance to Ukraine, James Kulikowski, wrote to his colleagues, “We realize the strain this puts on posts, and your ability to conclude grants and carry out programs”
This is just 2 days after the funds were held
Oh no! Not the aid
16)On August 16, in a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, Pelosi took offense to the rescission package proposed by the White House. Pelosi stated, that the recession proposal would be illegal and urge Mnuchin not to submit it.
17)As you can tell, the reviews have more to do with accountability for taxpayer's money, than to do with a "hold on aid" to a particular country.
The "power of the purse" now lies with hookers, drug addicts, and pedophiles, who just want to spend your money, endlessly
18)The President decided to cancel the recession proposal, but the review on aid for several countries still remained.
19)On August 28, Politico published a story about President holding aid to Ukraine in order to help Russia
This was the initial narrative teed-up a week before Congress was to return from recess
Adam Schiff was one of the first to retweet the story.
[Go to Part 3]