Senate Democrats want to pause Russell Vought’s nomination for Office of Management and Budget director until the Trump administration resumes distribution of federal financial assistance, but Republicans don’t plan to oblige.

President Trump’s acting OMB director, Matthew Vaeth, sent a memo on Monday ordering federal agencies to “temporarily pause” disbursement of all federal financial assistance, including funding for “foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology and the green new deal,” effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Senate Democrats said the move is “a brazen and illegal” attempt to halt federal funding that Congress passed into law and they will try to stop it.

“The American people did not vote for this kind of senseless chaos,” Senate Appropriations ranking member Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, said.

The funding freeze will “wreak havoc in red and blue communities,” halting resources for child care, housing, police officers, opioid addiction treatment, roads and bridges, and disaster relief efforts, she said.

Ms. Murray urged Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who is also an appropriator, to hold Mr. Vought’s nomination as leverage to get the administration to reverse course. The Budget Committee is scheduled to vote on his nomination Thursday.

“Republicans should not advance this nomination out of committee until the Trump administration follows the law,” Ms. Murray said.

The Budget Committee will proceed with Mr. Vought’s nomination as scheduled, a spokesperson for Mr. Graham told The Washington Times.

Mr. Graham also told reporters he would “go ahead” with the committee vote on Mr. Vought’s nomination Thursday. But the senator said he had questions for the Trump administration about the funding freeze.

“I have to talk to the OMB people and try to get more information on how all this works,” Mr. Graham said. 

Democrats have already signaled their universal opposition to Mr. Vought’s nomination, in part because he and Mr. Trump have plans to challenge the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 law limiting a president’s ability to block congressionally approved spending from being disbursed. The freeze on financial assistance appears to be the first step toward that, they said.

“Russell Vought refused to answer many questions about his plan, particularly to say he would not use the illegal impoundment strategy,” said Senate Budget ranking member Jeff Merkley, Oregon Democrat.

Mr. Merkley said the Budget Committee vote on Mr. Vought’s nomination should be postponed at least two weeks “until we answer these questions and resolve this constitutional crisis.”

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved Mr. Vought’s nomination on an 8-7 party-line vote this month, but he needs approval from the Budget Committee as well.

• Kerry Picket contributed to this story.

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.