'Ultra-right': Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump’s prime to pb the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) connected a bid of issues Wednesday, ranging from termination to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act. 

While Republicans reason that Russell Vought is qualified for the relation due to the fact that helium served arsenic Trump’s OMB manager during the president's archetypal term, Democrats similar Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., person labeled Vought an "ultra-right" ideologue. 

Vought appeared earlier the Senate Budget Committee connected Wednesday for a confirmation proceeding and defended his erstwhile statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — an contented Democrats assertion should disqualify him from starring the Office of Management and Budget.

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Russell Vought served arsenic Trump's manager of the OMB from July 2020 to January 2021.  (Al Drago)

The law, adopted successful 1974, stipulates that Congress whitethorn oversee the enforcement branch’s withholding of fund authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the powerfulness of the purse. Ultimately, the instrumentality bars the enforcement subdivision from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds.

The archetypal Trump medication and Vought person travel nether occurrence aft the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 cardinal successful subject assistance for Ukraine successful 2019, a determination that yet led to Trump’s archetypal impeachment.

"You’re rather comfy assuming that the instrumentality doesn’t substance and that you’ll conscionable dainty the wealth for a programme arsenic a ceiling… alternatively than a required amount," Senate Budget Committee ranking subordinate Jeff Merkley said. "Well, the courts person recovered otherwise."

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Additionally, the Supreme Court besides ruled successful 1975 that the enforcement subdivision cannot impound funds without legislature oversight. 

In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency indispensable usage afloat backing included successful the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, adjacent though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to usage each the funding. 

Lawmakers person pointed to this lawsuit successful Vought's confirmation hearings arsenic further grounds that the enforcement subdivision cannot necktie up backing Congress has approved. 

Even so, Vought told lawmakers successful aggregate exchanges helium believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, due to the fact that presidents historically could walk little than what Congress had approved anterior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned connected that position.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders questions Russell Vought, President Trump's nominee to beryllium manager of the OMB, testifies earlier a Senate Budget Committee confirmation proceeding connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, Jan. 22, 2025. (Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters)

Democrats aren’t the lone ones disquieted astir Vought’s views connected the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee seat Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said helium besides shared immoderate concerns and would disclose them astatine a markup proceeding for Vought’s nomination. 

Vought besides faced questioning connected his views regarding abortion, fixed his transportation arsenic an writer of Project 2025, a governmental inaugural The Heritage Foundation released successful 2023 that called for argumentation changes, including instituting a nationalist prohibition connected termination medication. 

Other proposals included successful Project 2025 see eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing backing for Medicare and Medicaid. 

"You person said that you don’t judge successful exceptions for rape, for incest, oregon the beingness of the mother," said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. "Is that your position?"

"Senator, my views are not important. I’m present connected behalf of the president," Vought said. 

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Trump has repeatedly stated that helium backs termination successful definite instances, and stated that "powerful exceptions" for termination would stay successful spot nether his administration.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought connected whether healthcare is simply a "human right." Sanders has antecedently introduced authorities called the Medicare for All Act that would found a federal, nationalist wellness security program. 

"Do you deliberation we should articulation each different large state connected Earth and say, ‘You cognize what? Whether you’re poor, you’re rich, you’re young, you’re old, healthcare is simply a quality right,’" Sanders said. "We person the richest state successful the past of the world. Do you deliberation we should bash what each different large state connected Earth does?"

Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that helium believed it's captious to supply "legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for radical wrong the healthcare system, and to marque definite that we tailor each of the dollars that are spent toward that." 

Russ Vought, pictured during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) successful National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., connected Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

After serving arsenic manager of the Office of Management and Budget nether the archetypal Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America successful 2021. The enactment claims its ngo is to "renew a statement of America arsenic a federation nether God," according to its website. Vought besides served arsenic the vice president of Heritage Action for America. 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his gathering with Vought lone exacerbated his concerns astir the nomination. 

"I walked retired of the gathering adjacent much profoundly troubled," Schumer said connected the Senate level connected Wednesday. "Of each the extremists President Trump could person picked for OMB, helium picked the godfather of the ultra-right."

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Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that helium would uphold the instrumentality and that his idiosyncratic views aren’t important — carrying retired Trump’s imaginativeness is what matters. 

The OMB is liable for processing and executing the president’s budget, arsenic good arsenic overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the enforcement branch. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.