Chris Van Hollen: “I opposed the confirmation of Derek Kan to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Kan's tenure…”

“I opposed the confirmation of Derek Kan to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Kan's tenure at OMB and his responses to questions from the Senate Budget Committee raise serious concerns about a lack of transparency and a failure of leadership in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. While Mr. Kan was the Executive Associate Director at OMB, the agency illegally withheld security assistance for Ukraine in furtherance of President Trump's corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine to interfere on President Trump's behalf in the 2020 election. On August 12, 2019, OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta sent an email to Mr. Kan and other top OMB officials regarding concerns from the Department of Defense about this withholding, an email that made headlines when it was revealed publicly. While I specifically asked Mr. Kan about this email in written questions prior to the hearing, Mr. Kan claimed during the hearing that he was not familiar with the email in question. The Government Accountability Office found that OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding security assistance from Ukraine, and GAO also stated that OMB's stonewalling of their inquiry had ``constitutional significance'' due to the undermining of legislative branch oversight. Mr.…”