Senate Republicans Advance Trump's Budget Nominee Despite Outcry Over Funding Freeze
Senate Republicans concerned about Congress' spending authority are unlikely to oppose Russ Vought's nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget, even as Democrats claim that the White House is limiting the powers of lawmakers.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump's nominee for the role of budget chief is anticipated to navigate another significant hurdle on his path to confirmation on Thursday, despite the backlash surrounding the administration's decision to freeze spending that Congress approved.
Members of the Senate Budget Committee from the GOP indicated on Wednesday their readiness to support Russ Vought's nomination, as he aims for a second term at the helm of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This week, the OMB enacted a sweeping freeze on federal assistance, only to rescind a crucial memo enforcing that freeze shortly after. This rapid series of events surprised even some of the most senior Republican members, prompting them to seek clarification.
Nonetheless, numerous Republicans on Capitol Hill express their lack of concerns regarding Vought, dismissing the possibility that this incident might indicate how he could push his previous record of withholding funding from the last Trump administration even further this time.
“Absolutely support him 100 percent,” declared Sen. Pete Ricketts from Nebraska, a committee member, in an interview on Wednesday.
“I’m good with Russ Vought,” remarked Sen. John Neely Kennedy from Louisiana, also a member of the budget committee, during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“Hey, Russ Vought’s going to be great in that position,” added Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin. “Of many really good nominations, that’s one of the top ones.”
This situation underscores the GOP's commitment to bolstering Trump and his appointees, even when their actions threaten to undermine Congress’s constitutional authority over spending decisions.
Democrats were already inclined to oppose Vought's confirmation after he was advanced out of the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee in a party-line vote earlier this month. However, the recent developments have transformed the forthcoming confirmation vote in the Budget Committee into a politically charged issue.
“We know what Trump and Vought are up to. This is their blueprint. This is what they want to do, and they are going to keep at it,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “But I want to assure the American people, we are going to keep fighting and fighting and fighting until this cruel, evil program that causes such chaos from one end of America to the other is dead.”
Democratic senators have urged Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham to delay the markup of Vought’s nomination until they receive answers from the White House concerning the OMB's funding order, which they claim undermines Congress’s authority over appropriations. A formal request for a postponement was made by the panel's ranking member, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, who pointed to “extraordinary circumstances.”
Merkley highlighted Vought’s history of withholding federal funds authorized by Congress, including the halt of aid to Ukraine during Trump’s first term, which contributed to Trump’s impeachment in 2019.
“Anyone who doesn't care what the law is, and doesn’t care what the Constitution is, should never serve in the Cabinet,” he said in a brief interview on Wednesday.
Confirming Vought would further the White House's agenda of selectively funding federal programs, potentially disregarding Congress's appropriated funds. Merkley expressed concern that Vought might already be fulfilling the responsibilities of director at the OMB, despite his lack of Senate confirmation.
“Has he essentially been playing the role of director without actually being confirmed? And that raises lots of troubling questions,” Merkley noted.
During two separate hearings, Vought clarified to lawmakers that both he and the president oppose the Impoundment Control Act, a law established over 50 years ago to protect the congressional appropriations process from executive overreach. This law mandates that the president must seek Congress's approval to rescind funds, rather than unilaterally withholding appropriated funding. Ultimately, Congress retains the authoritative final decision.
“The president ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. I agree with that,” Vought shared with lawmakers in his recent confirmation hearing before the Budget Committee.
This week, under an acting director, the OMB has caused considerable confusion following a comprehensive freeze of federal assistance initiated on Monday night, updated on Tuesday morning, and then revoked on Wednesday. A federal judge had already temporarily blocked the OMB's actions on Tuesday night.
Some Republican senators argue that Vought's expertise is crucial as the budget office works on implementing Trump’s executive orders, particularly regarding foreign aid and funding related to the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act as well as the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021.
“President Trump needs someone of his expertise to figure out how to dramatically reduce spending to a pre-pandemic level and just implement all the things that President Trump wants to do,” Johnson emphasized on Wednesday. “I mean, people don't realize that OMB director’s a really key role, and you need somebody with a great deal of experience.”
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, which shares jurisdiction over the OMB nominee, advanced Vought along party lines the same day Trump was inaugurated. The chair of that committee, Sen. Rand Paul, remarked during Vought’s initial confirmation hearing that “the power of the purse is Congress” and emphasized that “if we appropriate something for a cause, that’s where it’s supposed to go.”
Despite the recent developments related to funding freezes, Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, is eager to see Vought confirmed.
“The sooner, the better,” Paul stated succinctly in a Wednesday interview. “He needs to be confirmed.”
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
Members of the Senate Budget Committee from the GOP indicated on Wednesday their readiness to support Russ Vought's nomination, as he aims for a second term at the helm of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This week, the OMB enacted a sweeping freeze on federal assistance, only to rescind a crucial memo enforcing that freeze shortly after. This rapid series of events surprised even some of the most senior Republican members, prompting them to seek clarification.
Nonetheless, numerous Republicans on Capitol Hill express their lack of concerns regarding Vought, dismissing the possibility that this incident might indicate how he could push his previous record of withholding funding from the last Trump administration even further this time.
“Absolutely support him 100 percent,” declared Sen. Pete Ricketts from Nebraska, a committee member, in an interview on Wednesday.
“I’m good with Russ Vought,” remarked Sen. John Neely Kennedy from Louisiana, also a member of the budget committee, during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“Hey, Russ Vought’s going to be great in that position,” added Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin. “Of many really good nominations, that’s one of the top ones.”
This situation underscores the GOP's commitment to bolstering Trump and his appointees, even when their actions threaten to undermine Congress’s constitutional authority over spending decisions.
Democrats were already inclined to oppose Vought's confirmation after he was advanced out of the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee in a party-line vote earlier this month. However, the recent developments have transformed the forthcoming confirmation vote in the Budget Committee into a politically charged issue.
“We know what Trump and Vought are up to. This is their blueprint. This is what they want to do, and they are going to keep at it,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “But I want to assure the American people, we are going to keep fighting and fighting and fighting until this cruel, evil program that causes such chaos from one end of America to the other is dead.”
Democratic senators have urged Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham to delay the markup of Vought’s nomination until they receive answers from the White House concerning the OMB's funding order, which they claim undermines Congress’s authority over appropriations. A formal request for a postponement was made by the panel's ranking member, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, who pointed to “extraordinary circumstances.”
Merkley highlighted Vought’s history of withholding federal funds authorized by Congress, including the halt of aid to Ukraine during Trump’s first term, which contributed to Trump’s impeachment in 2019.
“Anyone who doesn't care what the law is, and doesn’t care what the Constitution is, should never serve in the Cabinet,” he said in a brief interview on Wednesday.
Confirming Vought would further the White House's agenda of selectively funding federal programs, potentially disregarding Congress's appropriated funds. Merkley expressed concern that Vought might already be fulfilling the responsibilities of director at the OMB, despite his lack of Senate confirmation.
“Has he essentially been playing the role of director without actually being confirmed? And that raises lots of troubling questions,” Merkley noted.
During two separate hearings, Vought clarified to lawmakers that both he and the president oppose the Impoundment Control Act, a law established over 50 years ago to protect the congressional appropriations process from executive overreach. This law mandates that the president must seek Congress's approval to rescind funds, rather than unilaterally withholding appropriated funding. Ultimately, Congress retains the authoritative final decision.
“The president ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. I agree with that,” Vought shared with lawmakers in his recent confirmation hearing before the Budget Committee.
This week, under an acting director, the OMB has caused considerable confusion following a comprehensive freeze of federal assistance initiated on Monday night, updated on Tuesday morning, and then revoked on Wednesday. A federal judge had already temporarily blocked the OMB's actions on Tuesday night.
Some Republican senators argue that Vought's expertise is crucial as the budget office works on implementing Trump’s executive orders, particularly regarding foreign aid and funding related to the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act as well as the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021.
“President Trump needs someone of his expertise to figure out how to dramatically reduce spending to a pre-pandemic level and just implement all the things that President Trump wants to do,” Johnson emphasized on Wednesday. “I mean, people don't realize that OMB director’s a really key role, and you need somebody with a great deal of experience.”
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, which shares jurisdiction over the OMB nominee, advanced Vought along party lines the same day Trump was inaugurated. The chair of that committee, Sen. Rand Paul, remarked during Vought’s initial confirmation hearing that “the power of the purse is Congress” and emphasized that “if we appropriate something for a cause, that’s where it’s supposed to go.”
Despite the recent developments related to funding freezes, Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, is eager to see Vought confirmed.
“The sooner, the better,” Paul stated succinctly in a Wednesday interview. “He needs to be confirmed.”
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
