Senate Republicans advanced the nomination of Russell Vought to lead the White House budget office as Democrats boycotted the meeting to protest the administration’s recent efforts to freeze large swaths of federal funding.
Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee voted 11-0 to report out Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), teeing it up for consideration by the full Senate.
Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he’s hopeful the nomination heads to the full Senate for final approval “soon.”
“We need to get on with getting the government up and running,” he told reporters. He also said he doesn’t expect problems with GOP leaders locking down the necessary support to get Vought through the chamber.
Senate Democrats said ahead of the committee vote that they would boycott the meeting, calling Vought “clearly unfit for office.”
Democrats have been sounding the alarm over a since-rescinded memo OMB issued this week directing agencies to temporarily pause disbursement of loans, grants and other financial assistance to determine if spending is in line with the president’s agenda.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) made a brief appearance in the meeting and left shortly after.
The White House has since rescinded the sweeping memo amid confusion over what programs would be impacted and legal challenges. But officials have vowed to work to implement Trump’s previous orders that also target some funding approved by Congress under the previous administration.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) blasted Democrats for not showing up at the hearing, 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 during recent hearings, particularly on the executive branch’s spending powers and the nominee’s ties to Project 2025, the conservative blueprint produced by the Heritage Foundation that was often the target of Democratic attacks during the 2024 presidential election cycle.
While Vought has vowed the administration will uphold the law, he also reiterated his position in hearings that the Impoundment Control Act, which lays out limits on the president’s powers to restrict funding approved by Congress, is unconstitutional.
At the same time, backlash is growing among Democrats who say the recent actions by the Trump administration are illegal.
“The recent court decisions are the minimum that we should expect in preserving the rule of law,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said 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, adding “the freeze on funding is only the beginning.”
