Senate Republicans on Monday evening voted to advance Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget after days of controversy marked by OMB’s unexpected directive to pause all federal financial assistance.
While Vought technically did not have the OMB job when the order came down, he was a clear influence during Donald Trump’s first weeks in office: The White House signaled his involvement in OMB’s decision-making process last week. The directive caused chaos and confusion throughout Washington and beyond. The White House has since rescinded the memo, and a federal judge Monday blocked the freeze for the foreseeable future.
Under Vought’s leadership, OMB is set to become Trump’s primary tool to consolidate his power.
After the federal funding freeze, Democrats urged Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Senate Budget Committee chair, to delay the committee’s vote to advance the nomination. Ultimately, Graham moved forward with the vote, provoking a boycott from the Democrats on the committee.
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The Senate voted 51-46 to invoke cloture on Vought’s nomination in a party-line vote. Sens. John Fetterman, Lindsey Graham and Cindy Hyde-Smith did not vote. Vought is on track for full confirmation later this week.
Democrats can do little to stop his confirmation. While Sen. Elizabeth Warren told NOTUS that all Senate Democrats “are voting no” on Vought, she suggested that they have a “whole strategy” to address Vought, although she did not reveal what that was. (Democrats don’t have the numbers to stop Trump’s nominees from moving forward, but they can delay them.)
Republicans in the Senate are supporting Trump’s pick, even with the knowledge that with Vought in charge, OMB is poised to try and strip much of Congress’ power over spending by challenging the Impoundment Control Act, a decades-old law that bars the president from temporarily or permanently withholding funding that has been approved by lawmakers. Vought said during one of his nomination hearings that the law was unconstitutional.
Sen. Josh Hawley acknowledged that Vought “wants to increase the executive’s ability to withhold funds in order to cut spending,” but it did not seem to be a concern for him.
“Will he be able to do that constitutionally? I don’t know, I kind of doubt it,” Hawley added. He called Vought a “subcabinet nominee” that “has no independent authority.”
Sen. Jim Justice said that the executive branch should have a say on spending, arguing that Trump should “have his choices, too, and I do not think we’re diminishing constitutional authority.”
Sen. James Lankford said that “based on just knowing [Vought],” he did not think he wanted to diminish congressional authority.
“He wants to be able to make us more efficient,” he added.
When asked if she felt comfortable with Vought leading OMB, Sen. Cynthia Lummis put it more simply.
“I want spending cuts,” she told NOTUS. “I don’t care who does them.”
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Oriana González is a reporter at NOTUS.
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