Budget Committee Democrats, Leader Schumer Press to Delay Vought’s OMB Nomination

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Democratic members of the Senate Budget Committee along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) delay Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) until he satisfactorily answers questions regarding his advice to the President relating to the illegal impoundment of Congressionally appropriated funds – questions that have taken on greater urgency in light of OMB’s directive “to freeze all funding for ‘Federal financial assistance programs.’”

“While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators called for the Budget Committee to postpone the vote on Vought for two weeks while they get full and complete responses to questions from the nominee.

The Senators stated, “It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.”

The letter was signed by all the Democrats of the Senate Budget Committee—Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Alex Padilla (D-CA)—and Leader Schumer.

A copy of the letter is available by clicking here or below:

Dear Senator Graham:

During the Budget Committee’s hearing on Wednesday, January 22 to examine the nomination of Russell T. Vought to serve as the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Mr. Vought was repeatedly evasive about whether, if confirmed, he would advise the President to impound Congressionally-appropriated funds in clear violation of Article II of the Constitution and the unambiguous text of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

In written responses to questions following the hearing, Mr. Vought continued his refusal to answer direct questions about how executive orders to pause foreign aid funding, as well as funding authorized and appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, complied with the law.

Now, less than a week after the hearing, it is clear that Mr. Vought’s non-answers were an effort to thwart the Committee from getting the truth of the Trump administration’s plan, per OMB memorandum M-25-13, to freeze all funding for “Federal financial assistance programs.” While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee.

It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.

For those reasons, we request that the business meeting to consider Mr. Vought’s nomination, currently scheduled for Thursday, January 30, be postponed for two weeks so the Committee may get full responses to the questions Mr. Vought has thus far refused to answer.

###