Office of Science and Technology Policy:

Violation of the Antideficiency Act

GAO-12-200T, Nov 2, 2011

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This testimony discusses our October 11 opinion concerning the Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) use of appropriations for bilateral activities with the government of the People's Republic of China.

In the opinion, we determined that OSTP violated a statutory provision prohibiting the agency from using its appropriations for bilateral engagements with China or any Chinese-owned company. Because no funds were available for such purpose, OSTP's actions also violated the Antideficiency Act, a fiscal statute central to Congress's constitutional power of the purse.