Senate confirms Russ Vought to lead budget office as Democrats protest

Washington — The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Russ Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget after Democrats held the floor through Wednesday night and into the day Thursday to oppose his confirmation. 

In a 53 to 47 vote, the Senate confirmed Vought’s nomination along party lines. 

Vought, 48, served as OMB director toward the end of President Trump’s first term after serving as deputy OMB director and acting director. He was involved in writing the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and worked as policy director for the 2024 Republican National Committee’s platform committee.

Overnight, more than a dozen Senate Democrats took to the floor, delivering scathing critiques of Vought’s nomination in the wake of an OMB memo last week that sent shockwaves through the political sphere and beyond, directing all agencies to temporarily pause federal assistance. On Monday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily stop its freeze on federal assistance. But Democrats have seized on the move, which added fuel to their effort to stall Vought’s confirmation.  

“It may be back online, but no one knows whether that’s for sure, because Russel Vought and Donald Trump think they may be above the law,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat said Wednesday night.  

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York outlined Wednesday the plan to oppose Vought’s confirmation, saying Democrats would “come to the floor and sound the alarm” on the Vought into the night. 

“All 47 Democrats are opposed to Vought’s nomination,” Schumer said. “His confirmation would be a disaster for working families, and a godsend to billionaires who don’t pay their fair share in taxes.”

But Vought’s confirmation was expected, after his nomination advanced Wednesday in a 53-47 party line vote that limited debate to up to 30 hours, which Democrats were eager to use. Democrats also voiced their opposition to Vought during the vote, though rules prohibit debate during voting. 

Vought will oversee the president’s proposed budget while being responsible for executing Mr. Trump’s agenda across the federal government. The broad oversight prompted Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, to plead with senators to vote against Vought, saying “We should not entrust someone to implement our laws” who has made clear “that he will not follow the law.” 

Murray cited Vought’s effort to “give Trump unilateral authority” to hold up security assistance to Ukraine during his first administration and override Congress’ spending decisions, adding that more recently Vought has “mapped out a lawless path” that “President Trump is already barreling down at full speed.”

The OMB withheld more than $200 million in security assistance to Ukraine when Vought previously served as director, which was later determined to be a violation of the Impoundment Control Act, which limits the president’s ability to unilaterally freeze certain funds appropriated by Congress. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota praised Vought on Wednesday, citing his previous experience in the role, saying “There’s no question that he will be able to hit the ground running.”

Thune said as director of OMB, Vought will have the chance to take on “two key economic issues:” addressing “excessive spending” and cutting “burdensome government regulations,” while expressing confidence that Vought will make the issues priorities. 

Vought appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last month, along with the Senate Budget Committee, where Republicans advanced him unanimously as Democrats boycotted the vote. 

Vought, in his opening statement to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last month, said that “we have to use taxpayer dollars wisely” because “inflation driven by irresponsible federal spending taxes Americans twice.”

Vought said if confirmed, he would continue to strive to “ensure every decision contributes to a more prosperous future for all Americans.”