GAO last November said data did not always agree with other publicly available federal agency reports on pandemic relief spending. Image: zefart/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffTwo House Republican leaders have pressed OMB and the Treasury Department on the “failure of many agencies to report accurate and timely spending data” on USAspending.gov, in light of a GAO report that they said “raises important questions” about the reliability of information on that site.
In that report last November focusing on pandemic relief laws, GAO said that of 152 entities that are identified as “agencies” on government financial statements, 49 had not reported any spending under those laws, including 25 that accounted for some $5 billion in outlays under them. Further, data that were reported did not always agree with other publicly available federal agency reports on pandemic relief spending, it said.
“We recognize the management challenges faced in ensuring this government-wide spending resource functions as intended under the law. We also recognize how the recent—and unprecedented— $4.7 trillion in estimated federal spending promulgated by COVID-19 pandemic relief packages has stressed these financial transparency mechanisms,” Reps. Jodey Arrington of Texas and James Comer of Kentucky wrote.
However, they said they “are concerned by the lack of progress in ensuring agencies provide accurate, complete, and timely reports.” They further noted that in the report, “both OMB and Treasury cited they lack the authority to ensure financial records received through internal channels are consistent and comparable with the information agencies report to USAspending.gov.”
Arrington and Comer chair the Budget Committee and the Oversight and Accountability Committee, respectively.
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