By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-led U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee Russell Vought as budget director on Thursday, placing the reins of government funding in the hands of hardline conservative who has advocated for reducing Congress’s power over taxpayer dollars.
The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Vought after a marathon overnight session during which Democrats denounced him as dangerous far-right ideologue and blasted Republicans for rubber-stamping Trump’s nomination.
Vought, who also headed the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first presidential term, raised concerns among members of both parties by criticizing a 1974 law preventing presidents from unilaterally blocking congressionally approved funding, a practice known as “impoundment”.
In his two confirmation hearings, Vought repeatedly said he believed a 1974 law was unconstitutional, a position that even the Republican committee chairmen said they did not fully support.
Last week, the White House Budget Office issued a memo freezing hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans. The White House said the freeze was necessary to ensure aid programs were aligned with Trump’s priorities including his executive orders to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
The White House rescinded the memo and a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, but not before the action raised widespread fears about the future critical government-funded services and concerns that Trump could take unilateral action against other government funding.
Democrats sought to link Vought’s role in the hard-right Project 2025 policy initiative to a range of administration actions, including the Trump administration’s unilateral actions to essentially shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development and fire prosecutors at the Justice Department.
“Whether it’s with federal workers, whether it’s at USAID, whether it’s hurting Justice Department prosecutors, all of that is Russell Vought at work,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on a floor speech.
“He’s working to hurt you, Mr. and Mrs. America.”
Republicans championed Vought’s experience as budget director and the role they expect him to play in cutting wasteful government spending.
“Identifying ways to rein in our spending – and to target government waste – has to be a priority. And I’m confident that Mr. Vought will help lead that charge,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said this week. “There is no question that he will be able to hit the ground running.”
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio)
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