The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed Russell Vought to return as President Trump’s budget chief, despite a drumbeat of Democrats warning the nominee will abuse his authority and try to circumvent Congress’ constitutional authority over spending.
The 53-47 party-line vote came after Democrats spent all 30 hours following the first procedural vote to advance Mr. Vought’s nomination taking turns speaking on the Senate floor about the dangers he and like-minded allies pose to the federal government.
“Of all the harmful nominees, of all the extremists that Donald Trump has elevated, of all the hard-right ideologues who have come before the Senate, none of them hold a candle to Russell Vought,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “He is far and away the most dangerous to the American people.”
Mr. Vought “will be the quarterback of White House policy,” Mr. Schumer said, noting he helped author the Project 2025 agenda that sought to “break the government – not just eliminate waste.”
Mr. Vought was previously confirmed to the same position of White House Office of Management Budget director in 2020, which he held until the end of Mr. Trump’s first term. That vote also fell along party lines, as did his 2018 confirmation vote to serve as OMB’s deputy director.
Republicans pointed to Mr. Vought’s past experience and his commitment to cutting spending and slashing government regulations as reasons for their support.
“I’m counting on Mr. Vought to help the president chart a new fiscal path,” said Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican. “That will not be an easy job.”
Democrats said Mr. Vought’s actions at OMB during Mr. Trump’s first term to try to circumvent Congress’ spending decisions were disqualifying.
One of their main gripes is that he followed Mr. Trump’s orders to freeze funds lawmakers appropriated for military aid to Ukraine. House Democrats argued Mr. Trump froze the funding to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the country, which could help him in his reelection campaign against Joe Biden.
The dispute led to Mr. Trump’s impeachment by the House, though he was acquitted by the Senate.
The Government Accountability Office later found the Ukraine funding freeze to be an illegal violation of the Impoundment Control Act, which limits the president’s authority to block disbursement of funds approved by Congress.
Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, said she does not trust Mr. Vought to send communities funding that lawmakers work in a bipartisan way to pass.
“We know if Russ Vought gets his way, and gets his hands on the nation’s funding again, he won’t just draw blood, he will cut programs families rely on to the bone: SNAP cuts that leave families hungry, policies to cut people off from their health care, cuts to disability benefits that veterans have earned through their service, thousands of public servants forced out of roles serving the American people — all while he works with Trump to dole out more tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations,” she said.
Ms. Murray said Mr. Vought will be even more empowered than during Mr. Trump’s first term because the president has surrounded himself with others who are “in lock-step” with Mr. Vought’s slash-government mentality, like billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Mr. Musk is not elected, confirmed by the Senate or subject to government ethics rules in his role but is “serving as de facto co-president,” she said.
“Even though Trump and Musk have absolutely zero legal authority to hold up any federal payments that are law, that has not stopped them so far,” Ms. Murray said, predicting Mr. Vought would only further encourage such behavior.
While Democrats argue Mr. Vought plans to ignore Congress’ instructions on spending, Mr. Grassley said he views him as a partner in cracking down on “out-of-control rulemaking” in which unelected bureaucrats who implement the laws Congress passes go far beyond lawmakers’ intent.
Republicans also celebrated Mr. Vought’s confirmation as another victory in their push to quickly confirm the president’s nominees despite Democrats using procedural tactics to drag out the process.
Mr. Vought is the 13th Cabinet-level official the Senate has confirmed in the 18 days since Mr. Trump was sworn into office, more than double the number confirmed four years ago in President Biden’s first year.
“Our pace has matched the urgency of the moment,” Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming said. “We are moving with a speed and commitment that we said because we know the president has a strong and active and bold agenda, and we’re part of it, and he needs his team in place and able to accomplish it.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.