The United States Senate approved Russ Vought’s appointment as the head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Thursday, following a prolonged debate by Democrats who had occupied the Senate floor from Wednesday evening through to Thursday to voice their opposition to his confirmation. The Senate ratified Vought’s appointment with a 53-47 vote, following party lines.
Russ Vought, 48, previously served as the OMB director towards the end of President Trump’s initial term after holding the positions of deputy OMB director and acting director. He is known for his involvement in drafting the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and his role as policy director for the 2024 Republican National Committee’s platform committee.
The nomination of Vought was criticized by numerous Senate Democrats, who delivered heated arguments against his appointment. This was largely triggered by an OMB memo last week that directed all agencies to temporarily halt federal aid, a move that sent shockwaves throughout the political world and beyond. Democrats used this controversial move to strengthen their effort to delay Vought’s confirmation.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, expressed his concerns on Wednesday night, stating uncertainty over the reactivation of the system due to Vought’s and President Trump’s perceived disregard for the law.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York also outlined plans to resist Vought’s confirmation on Wednesday, stating that Democrats would utilize the Senate floor to voice their concerns. Schumer stated, “His confirmation would be a disaster for working families, and a godsend to billionaires who don’t pay their fair share in taxes.”
However, Vought’s confirmation was anticipated, as his nomination progressed through a 53-47 party-line vote on Wednesday, limiting the debate to a maximum of 30 hours. Despite the rules prohibiting debate during the voting process, Democrats vocalized their opposition to Vought.
As the director of the OMB, Vought will be responsible for managing the president’s proposed budget as well as executing President Trump’s agenda across the federal government. This extensive oversight led Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, to urge her fellow senators to vote against Vought.
Vought’s previous efforts to grant President Trump unilateral authority to delay security assistance to Ukraine during his first term and override Congress’ spending decisions were cited by Murray as reasons for her opposition. She also mentioned Vought’s recent actions that seemingly disregard the law, which she believes President Trump is already pursuing aggressively.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota praised Vought, highlighting his previous experience in the role and expressing confidence in his ability to address “excessive spending” and reduce “burdensome government regulations.”
Last month, Vought appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and the Senate Budget Committee, where his nomination was advanced unanimously by Republicans as Democrats boycotted the vote. Vought emphasized the importance of responsible federal spending and pledged to strive for decisions that contribute to a prosperous future for all Americans, if confirmed.
