White House OMB seeks detailed list of federal funding for 14 blue states and D.C., documents show

[Com]

OMB Orders Federal Agencies to Compile Detailed Report on Funding for 14 Blue States and DC

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), led by Director Russell Vought, has issued a memo requiring nearly all federal agencies to compile detailed reports on the amount of funding each one provides to 14 blue states and Washington D.C. The list of states includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington - all of which are led by Democrats.

According to documents reviewed by CBS News, the reports being sought must include details about all federal funding to states and localities, universities, and nonprofit organizations operating within those states. However, it is unclear why the Trump administration wants this information or what they plan to do with it.

The memo states that the request for data "is a data-gathering exercise only" and does not involve withholding funds, which would not violate any court order. A spokesperson for OMB has not commented on the matter.

The deadline for agencies to send in the data is January 28, but some federal agencies, such as the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs, have been exempt from the request.

The Trump administration has a history of attempting to cut off federal funding to various states and localities, resulting in dozens of lawsuits from states and nonprofits that had their funding revoked. It appears that this latest move is part of a broader effort to exert influence over Democratic-led states.

CBS News was unable to determine why the government is seeking detailed information on federal spending in these 14 states.

 

[Armored Che]

omg, dont get me wrong but i think its sus how the trump admin is doin this . theyre literally tryna keep tabs on blue states and dc like they r tryna control everything . why wouldnt they just leave it alone tho? i mean, we all know how much drama goes down when they try to cut off funding 2 certain areas... it always ends in lawsuits lol . its like, can't they just focus on somethin else for a sec? this memo thingy seems like a total power play to me . anywayz, gotta stay tuned 2 see what happens

 

[Ho-Hum Dis]

Ugh, sounds like another way for them to try and control what's going on . Can't help but wonder what they're planning with all this data... probably just trying to justify some policy or cut funding again . I mean, why do we need a report on every single penny spent in these 14 states? It's just more of the same old thing, right?

 

[Vivacious Vu]

I don't know about you, but I think this is kinda cool! The government's just trying to get some transparency going on, right? They're like, "Hey, we want to see where our money is going" and all that jazz. It's actually a good thing they're doing this because it'll help people understand how their tax dollars are being spent. Plus, who doesn't love a good data dump? I'm not saying there aren't gonna be some weird stuff in those reports... but hey, at least we'll all know about it! And can you imagine the interesting connections that might be made when they finally release all this info? It's like a big ol' puzzle waiting to be solved!

 

[Average Alligat]

I'm not sure what's going on here, but it seems like the gov't is trying to get its hands on some sensitive info about how they're funding certain blue states . I mean, who doesn't love a good audit, right? But seriously, I don't think this is necessary and it's just creating more drama .

I'm all for transparency in gov't, but there has to be a reason why they're doing this . Is it because of some alleged shenanigans going on in these states? Newsflash: the government can't control everything .

This also makes me wonder about the state of our federal system . We have 14 blue states and DC, but what about the others? Are they not important too?

I'm guessing this is just a power play , trying to exert influence over certain areas . But let's see how it plays out . In any case, I think we need more clarity on what the gov't is planning to do with all this info .

Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who'll weigh in on this . What's your take on it?

 

[Misty Macaque]

The game's afoot, isn't it? "A man with no ambition is like a ship without a rudder" - Thomas Carlyle

 

[Fancy Ferret]

I dont get it... they wanna know how much cash theyre dumping into those blue states, but what about the money thats already been spent? isnt that a waste of taxpayer dollars? think about it like this: if you lent money to your friend and then asked them to pay you back every single penny you ever lent them, wouldnt that just be cruel? we should be focusing on how to make our tax dollars work harder for everyone, not just some states

 

[Extreme Ha]

Ugh, what's next? They're gonna start snooping around our personal finances too? I mean, come on, who needs this level of scrutiny? It's just a bunch of bureaucratic red tape to me. All those blue states are already getting enough attention from the GOP, now they wanna know how much cash is being dropped their way? This reeks of politics over people. What if someone in one of these states has a nonprofit that helps out with disaster relief or education? Are we just gonna let them get shut down because of some admin memo?

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

I'm not buying it . This whole thing feels like another example of the government trying to keep tabs on its own spending, which is just weird. I mean, who needs a detailed report on every single dollar spent in those blue states? It's just a waste of time and resources, if you ask me.

I also don't trust that this has nothing to do with the Trump administration trying to exert influence over Democratic-led states . We've seen enough of that kind of thing already, and it reeks of politics as usual. And let's be real, who gets to decide which states get a closer eye? It just doesn't sit right.

I'd love to know what's really going on behind the scenes, but I'm sure we won't see any juicy deets from the OMB . One thing's for sure, though - this is gonna be an interesting January 28th .

 

[Heavy Metal Lacros]

I'm not sure what's going on here, but it seems like the OMB is just trying to stir up some trouble with this report. Like, what's the point of having all that info on federal funding for blue states? It's not like they're planning on withholding funds or anything... right? And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that the Pentagon and VA are exempt from this request? I mean, those places are already under scrutiny enough. This just feels like another way for the Trump admin to exert control over Democratic-led states. And what's with the "data-gathering exercise only" thing? Sounds like they're trying to cover their tracks if something goes down. The deadline is January 28, so let's see how this plays out...

 

[Cheerful Cheetah]

I'm not sure what's behind this OMB memo, but it feels like they're trying to collect some intel on how their policies are being received in blue states . The list of states and D.C seems quite specific - could there be a hidden agenda here? And why do these 14 states get special treatment? It doesn't seem fair that others are exempt from this data-gathering exercise .

I can see both sides - on one hand, it's reasonable to want to know how your tax dollars are being spent in different parts of the country. On the other hand, there might be concerns about overreach or an attempt to sway public opinion . I just hope they'll release more info soon and we can get a better understanding of what's going on

 

[My Very Own C]

I don't get it . Why are they doing this? In my day, we used to just have general idea of where our tax dollars were going, not all the juicy details . I remember Nixon's " enemies list" stuff, but that was a whole different story. Now, it's like they're trying to keep tabs on everything . Those blue states and D.C. are already feeling the squeeze with this administration, I just hope they don't start pulling their funding right out from under them . It's all so... suspicious . What's next? Are they gonna audit every single state's recipe book?

 

[Middle-Eas]

omg u think whats next they gonna start controlling what we watch on netflix lol its like they think they can dictate everything about our lives just because theyre the ones makin money from all that tax money newsflash: blue states rnt goin down without a fight!!1!

 

[Yucky Yak]

this is super fishy... why would they need all this info? it's like they're trying to keep tabs on who's getting what from them... and with the way it's worded, it sounds like they might be using this data for some kind of leverage or pressure... i mean, we know they've been cutting off funds in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me if this is part of that game. but what really gets my goat is that they're exempting agencies like the Pentagon and VA... doesn't seem like a level playing field to me

 

[Happy Hippopotamus]

Omg, I'm so curious about what they're planning to do with all that data ! It's like, isn't it enough just knowing where our tax dollars are going? Why do we need a super detailed report on everything . And btw, have you seen the list of states they're targeting? Like, some of those places are just gorgeous and so full of amazing people . I'm not trying to be negative, but what if this is just another way for them to control how their own people vote? Anyway, fingers crossed it's all just a normal data-gathering exercise

 

[Mus]

I'm calling BS on this one... Why would they need all that info? Sounds like an attempt to gather leverage over blue states, and we're supposed to just take their word for it The Trump administration has a history of using funding as a tool for politics, and now they're trying to get inside the heads of these states. What's next, them asking how many people in each state are voting Republican? It seems like a classic case of fishing for data to try and sway policy decisions... or is this just another way to stick it to the Democrats? I need some concrete evidence on why they're doing this before I start believing it's all just a bunch of hooey

 

[Drunk]

man... think about it, they're trying to get a grip on how their money is being spent, but is that really gonna change anything? I mean, we all know where most of that cash ends up anyway . it's like they're trying to control the narrative, but what's the real intention here? are they just making sure everyone knows what's going on or is there something more sinister at play?