The US Senate, led by Republicans, confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Russell Vought, as the new budget director on Thursday. Vought, a staunch conservative, will now oversee government spending, with a strong focus on reducing Congress’s control over taxpayer funds.
The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Vought after an intense overnight session. Democrats criticised him as a “dangerous far-right ideologue” and accused Republicans of blindly supporting Trump’s pick, according to Reuters.
Vought, who previously led the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term, sparked concerns from both parties by questioning a 1974 law that stops presidents from unilaterally blocking funds approved by Congress. This practice, known as “impoundment,” is seen as a key check on presidential power.
During his confirmation hearings, Vought repeatedly claimed the 1974 law was unconstitutional. Even some Republican senators were uneasy with his stance. “I don’t fully support that position,” admitted a Republican committee chairman, as reported by Reuters.
Recently, the White House Budget Office, under Vought’s influence, issued a memo freezing hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans. The Trump administration claimed this freeze was necessary to align spending with the president’s priorities, such as ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
However, after backlash, the White House withdrew the memo, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze. This move raised fears about the stability of essential government-funded services and concerns over Trump’s potential to restrict other areas of federal funding.
Democrats also linked Vought to the far-right Project 2025 policy initiative, criticising his role in controversial Trump-era actions, including attempts to dismantle the US Agency for International.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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