Key facts
- The GAO found the White House illegally withheld over $1 billion in federal funds.
- Lawmakers want the GAO to sue the Trump administration over the impoundments.
- The GAO has yet to take legal action to challenge the spending decisions.
- The agency is led by an interim director, Orice Williams Brown, who may be reluctant to act.
Members of Congress are seeking to leverage the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to challenge the Trump administration's control over federal funds. The GAO recently concluded that the White House illegally withheld over $1 billion designated for education and health care research programs. This marks the latest in a series of similar findings by the agency since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.