Reps. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., and Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio asked OMB's Shaun Donovan if the finding of violation by the Government Accountability Office has been reported by EPA to President Barack Obama and Congress, as required by the Anti-Deficiency Act under which the violation occurred. The legislators want to know much money EPA spent on the social media campaign.
Rep. Shuster is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, while Rep. Gibbs is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment. The second has oversight over the EPA Office of Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which worked together to create the WOTUS rule. The letter is seeking a response from OMB within 30 days.
In a session with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy before the House Ag Committee recently, several lawmakers asked the EPA chief about the matter. McCarthy acknowledged the GAO finding, but indicated it only related to the fact that when someone "re-tweeted" the item, there was no indication that it originated from EPA.
Several lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle were troubled by the finding, with Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., simply telling McCarthy, "You broke the law. Come clean." Repeatedly during that hearing, McCarthy simply told lawmakers she would "get back" to them on the WOTUS questions and several others.