Trump admin loses fight to keep spending data secret

Back in March, President Donald Trump’s administration shut down a public database detailing how federal funds were being spent. The administration’s reason for making such important data secret? It claimed sharing the information could reveal potentially sensitive details and get in the way of the president’s ability to manage America’s money. Opponents hit back — and an appeals court has since made it clear that Congress, not the president, has the power to decide if federal spending information should or should not be public, Knewz.com can report.

Public database must be restored

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously ordered the Trump administration to restore the database. The decision upheld a previous ruling, for which the Justice Department had obtained a temporary stay, by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, to restore the data and keep it publicly accessible while the legal fight continued. Judge Sullivan had dismissed the Trump administration’s argument that public access endangered executive functions, explaining that making the data publicly available was crucial for Congress to carry out its oversight responsibilities.

Congress trumps the president

The D.C. Circuit judges’ ruling reconfirmed that Congress has sole constitutional authority concerning federal spending and that the legislative branch — and not the executive branch — holds the power to decide whether or not that financial data is available to the public. The panel’s warning was clear, Newsweek reported: Allowing the president to hide that information would undercut congressional oversight and weaken the separation of powers between branches.

What the appeals court said

In a 25-page opinion dismissing the Trump administration’s arguments, Judge Karen Henderson, who was appointed by former President George H.W. Bush, wrote that the executive branch’s rationale “was an affront to Congress’ authority over government spending.” She also clearly stated that “only Congress — not the administration — could decide to shut down the database.”

Historical context

The panel’s ruling also explained the history of the principle of the legislative branch’s control over public funds. They noted how America’s founding fathers — including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Mason — considered public access to government financial records a vital check on executive power as well as a fundamental example of accountability in a democracy.

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