Senate Republicans superior the nomination of Russell Vought to steer the White Home price range workplace as Democrats boycotted the assembly to protest the administration’s current efforts to freeze massive swaths of federal funding.
Republicans on the Senate Price range Committee voted 11-0 to report out Vought’s nomination to steer the Workplace of Administration and Price range (OMB), teeing it up for consideration by the total Senate.
Price range Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) mentioned he’s hopeful the nomination heads to the total Senate for ultimate approval “soon.”
“We need to get on with getting the government up and running,” he advised reporters. He additionally mentioned he doesn’t anticipate issues with GOP leaders locking down the required assist to get Vought by way of the chamber.
Senate Democrats mentioned forward of the committee vote that they’d boycott the assembly, calling Vought “clearly unfit for office.”
Democrats have been sounding the alarm over a since-rescinded memo OMB issued this week directing companies to briefly pause disbursement of loans, grants and different monetary help to find out if spending is consistent with the president’s agenda.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) made a quick look within the assembly and left shortly after.
The White Home has since rescinded the sweeping memo amid confusion over what applications can be impacted and authorized challenges. However officers have vowed to work to implement Trump’s earlier orders that additionally goal some funding accepted by Congress underneath the earlier administration.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) blasted Democrats for not exhibiting up on the listening to, in remarks to reporters moments after the vote, calling the demonstration “extraordinarily juvenile.”
“This isn’t ‘High School Musical’ here. You know the serious business, United States Senate, for them to take their toys home and leave the playground is just really ridiculous. You know, these are old men. Honestly, it’s just very, very pathetic to see them doing that.”
Democrats had grilled Vought throughout current hearings, significantly on the chief department’s spending powers and the nominee’s ties to Venture 2025, the conservative blueprint produced by the Heritage Basis that was usually the goal of Democratic assaults throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle.
Whereas Vought has vowed the administration will uphold the regulation, he additionally reiterated his place in hearings that the Impoundment Management Act, which lays out limits on the president’s powers to limit funding accepted by Congress, is unconstitutional.
On the identical time, backlash is rising amongst Democrats who say the current actions by the Trump administration are unlawful.
“The recent court decisions are the minimum that we should expect in preserving the rule of law,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) mentioned Wednesday.
“The courts are going to be the firewall and the backstop here against the draft of illegal executive orders, the firing of inspectors general, the hiring freeze,” he argued, including “the freeze on funding is only the beginning.”
