This returns a list of aggregated award amounts grouped by time period
AI agents call spending_over_time to retrieve information from Usaspending without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and retrieves government spending data from USASPENDING.gov. It aggregates historical spending information and returns it grouped by time periods. There are no side effects—no data is created, modified, deleted, or destructed. No external code execution or financial transactions are triggered.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'spending_over_time' and description 'returns a list of aggregated award amounts grouped by time period' indicate data retrieval with no mutation, creation, deletion, or execution of external operations.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
This returns a list of aggregated award amounts grouped by time period. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Usaspending MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Usaspending MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for spending_over_time: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Usaspending. Nothing to install.
spending_over_time is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the spending_over_time rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for spending_over_time. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
spending_over_time is provided by the Usaspending MCP server (thsmale/usaspending-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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