Apportionment of Budget Authority for America West Airlines

The Committee on Appropriations requested that GAO determine whether the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) violated the Antideficiency Act in apportioning $172 million of budget authority for airlines loan guarantees authorized under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. GAO found both OMB and the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB), in January 2002, violated the Antideficiency Act. Four months later the Administration corrected the violations. ATSB reported to Congress and the President that ATSB and OMB violated the Antideficiency Act, and that OMB had implemented procedures expected to ensure that a violation of this type does not happen again.