First weekly stimulus reports arrive at OMB

OMB officials would not say how many agencies met the Tuesday deadline for handing in their initial reports, and numerous agencies failed to return calls for comment. But two told Government Executive they were complying with the mandate. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman said the agency had submitted its report, and an Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman said EPA's report would be in by the end of the day on Tuesday.

The administration's initial guidance on implementing the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act requires agencies to turn in weekly updates on Tuesdays from March 3 to May 12, when stimulus reporting will go monthly.

"Starting today, federal departments and agencies are to detail how much Recovery Act funding Congress appropriated for their areas, the plans to spend the money and any actions that they've take to move the money out the door," OMB spokesman Tom Gavin said. "The weekly reports keep the agencies and departments moving ahead together."

Gavin said the weekly reports will be published on Recovery.gov "as soon as they are made available from agencies" and also will be posted on the Web pages agencies must create to publicize stimulus activity.

"The weekly report will become the basis by which OMB, the White House and Congress conduct oversight responsibilities with regard to the agencies," Gavin said.

A survey of agency Web sites on Tuesday indicated that many have established the mandatory stimulus pages, with varying amounts of information already posted. Most of the sites included a blank area where weekly and monthly reports will be published.

The Homeland Security Department issued a press release breaking down its stimulus projects. The release promised more details soon.