The Senate confirmed Russell Vought on Thursday to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), with a vote of 53-47. Vought, 48, previously held this position during President Donald Trump’s first term, where he was tasked with managing the president’s budget, reviewing federal regulations, and prioritizing funding for various government agencies.
During his previous tenure, Vought proposed significant cuts to Medicaid and other reductions in the Education Department, the Interior Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. He also played a role in freezing military aid to Ukraine, a controversial move that contributed to Trump’s impeachment in 2019.
Before his role in the Trump administration, Russell Vought served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. It was at Heritage that Vought played a key role in crafting Project 2025, a comprehensive and controversial policy agenda.
Vought is credited with writing the section on executive power, where he argued that the president’s authority is often constrained by a vast federal bureaucracy that pushes its own policies and preferences. While Vought was a central figure in Project 2025, former President Trump has sought to distance himself from the blueprint, which has been criticized by Democrats and other opponents as being overly authoritarian and potentially harmful.
After leaving office in 2021, Russell Vought established the Center for Renewing America, a conservative advocacy organization focused on combating what it sees as “far-left ideology.” The group is a strong supporter of Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
In November, when Vought was appointed to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, Trump expressed confidence in Vought’s ability to “dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government,” emphasizing that Vought would help restore “Self Governance to the People.”
During his confirmation hearing last month, Russell Vought told senators that he believes government spending is often a “burden” on ordinary Americans, and he promised to manage “taxpayer dollars wisely” in his new role.
In response, Senate Democrats staged an overnight session on the Senate floor to protest Vought’s nomination. They argued that his connections to Project 2025 posed a threat to democracy and could harm Americans.
Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized Vought’s confirmation, calling it a “disaster for working families” and a “godsend to billionaires who don’t pay their fair share in taxes,” in a statement released on Wednesday.
Additionally, Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee had previously boycotted a vote to move Vought’s confirmation forward last month.