Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought speaks with reporters at a press conference at the White House in Washington, USA, March 11, 2019.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The head of the White House budget office on Thursday declined to designate staff and resources to assist with the upcoming Biden administration’s spending plans, in an escalating dispute over the office’s responsibilities during the transition process.
Bureau of Administration and Budget Director Russ Vought opposed the allegations of obstruction raised by President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team and added that his agency will not cooperate in alleged attempts to overthrow Trump’s policies. ‘dismantle’.
“Our system of government has one president and one government at a time,” Vought said in a letter to Biden’s transitional chief, Ted Kaufman.
Vought’s letter, shared publicly on his Twitter account, puts tension in the dormant dispute between President Donald Trump’s administration and the upcoming Biden team.
Biden transition members did not immediately comment on Vought’s letter. But Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for Biden, retweeted a critical message noting that Vought, “While he calls the allegations false … in fact confirms that he is preventing OMB career staff from working on next year’s budget request.”
In a speech on Monday, Biden called on political leaders from the OMB and the Department of Defense to set up “roadblocks” that hinder his efforts to prepare for the presidency.
“At the moment, we just don’t get all the information we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas,” Biden said at the time. “It’s nothing short of irresponsibility, in my opinion.”
Acting Defense Chief Christopher Miller responded later that day, saying in a statement that the Pentagon’s efforts “surpass those of recent governments with more than three weeks to go.”
In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, upcoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Biden adviser Yohannes Abraham again criticized those agencies.
“There is no doubt that the process will be delayed by what we have encountered with the outgoing OMB,” said Abraham. “The production of the budget takes many man-hours, and it requires the analytical support that was part of OMB’s involvement in previous transitions that we have not received.”
Historically, the OMB provided economic and budget information to incoming administrations well in advance of opening day to prepare them to quickly submit the new president’s budget. The document should technically be the first Monday in February, but has been delayed in the past.
Bloomberg, referring to people familiar with the case, reported earlier Thursday that Vought is blocking Biden team members from meeting with budget officials because he wants to finalize and publish new regulations before the Trump administration comes to an end.
In his letter to Kaufman, Vought said the record shows that “OMB has participated fully in appropriate transition efforts.”
Vought said the budget agency has held more than 45 meetings with Biden’s staff and “provided all requested information” on ongoing programs. He also said Biden’s team has been briefed on the Trump administration’s efforts to help the coronavirus, including Operation Warp Speed, the White House’s vaccine development and distribution plan.
“What we have not done and will not do is use the current OMB staff to do it [Biden transition team’s] legislative policy proposals to dismantle the work of this government, “said Vought’s letter.
“OMB employees are working on the policies of this government and will do so until the last day of this administration. Diverting staff and resources to prepare your team’s budget proposals is not a transitional responsibility of the OMB.”
Vought added, “OMB will not participate in developing policies that will weaken border security, dismantle the president’s deregulatory successes, and create budgets that will bankrupt America.”