OMB Releases $5 Million for PRAC Following Push by Grassley, Collins

WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chairs of the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations Committees, respectively, welcomed the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) decision to apportion $5 million for the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), ensuring it can continue operations through the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2026.

This action follows a letter sent by the senators on Monday to OMB Director Russell Vought, requesting that the funding for PRAC and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) be released.

“We are pleased that following our outreach, OMB has decided to release funds that will allow PRAC to remain operational and continue its vital oversight work,” Grassley and Collins said. “This funding ensures that PRAC can keep its staff in place to continue providing the transparency and accountability that taxpayers deserve. While this is a positive step, OMB should promptly apportion funds for CIGIE as well, consistent with congressional intent.”

Background:

In the 2020 CARES Act, Congress established PRAC as part of CIGIE to conduct and support government-wide oversight efforts associated with the emergency response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Congress this year extended PRAC’s authorization and expanded its jurisdiction as part of the 2025 tax law.

Read the senators’ letter to OMB HERE.

-30-