The White House on Tuesday sent federal agencies a lengthy questionnaire seeking details about their spending on leftist initiatives such as diversity, equity and inclusion, abortion programs and support for migrants.
The inquiries were sent alongside instructions outlining how agencies can comply with the White House’s budget office memo pausing all grant and loan disbursement by those agencies.
Both the spreadsheet and questionnaire were sent to agencies across the government, including large Cabinet-level departments and smaller independent agencies such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporations, covering more than 2,600 specific funding programs.
Each question is aimed at ensuring those funds are being spent in compliance with Mr. Trump’s executive orders and policy goals. Agencies were asked to provide “yes” or “no” answers.
Among the questions:
— Does this program provide federal funding to non-governmental organizations supporting or providing services, either directly or indirectly to removable or illegal aliens?
— Is this program a foreign assistance program, or provide funding to support activities overseas?
— Does this promote gender ideology?
— Does this program provide funding that is implicated by the revocation and the rescission of the U.S. International Climate Finance plan?
— Does this program provide funding that is implicated to end discriminatory programs, including DEI and accessibility mandates?
— Does this program promote or support in any way abortion or other activities identified in the Hyde Amendment?
Instructions accompanying the questionnaire require all agencies to tell the Office of Management and Budget about all planned obligations and disbursements it has scheduled through March 15 and requests a reply by Feb. 7. It also asks agencies to name a “senior political appointee” responsible for overseeing each program.
A White House memo issued Monday night called for a spending freeze on federal assistance by 5 p.m. Tuesday, which could impact the money sent to nonprofits, universities, small businesses and state and local governments.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.