{"id":31311,"date":"2025-01-23T11:23:23","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T11:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/ultra-right-trump-budget-chief-pick-russell-vought-faces-fire-from-dem-senators\/"},"modified":"2025-01-23T11:23:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T11:23:23","slug":"ultra-right-trump-budget-chief-pick-russell-vought-faces-fire-from-dem-senators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/ultra-right-trump-budget-chief-pick-russell-vought-faces-fire-from-dem-senators\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Ultra-right’: Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators"},"content":{"rendered":"

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Republicans argue that Russell Vought<\/a> is qualified for the role because he served as Trump\u2019s OMB director during the president’s first term, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have labeled Vought an “ultra-right” ideologue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing and defended his previous statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional \u2014 an issue Democrats claim should disqualify him from leading the Office of Management and Budget.<\/p>\n

TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S \u2018OLIGARCHY\u2019 COMMENTS\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch\u2019s withholding of budget authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the power of the purse. Ultimately, the law bars the executive branch from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds.<\/p>\n

The first Trump administration and Vought have come under fire after the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019, a decision that ultimately led to Trump\u2019s first impeachment.<\/p>\n

“You\u2019re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn\u2019t matter and that you\u2019ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling\u2026 rather than a required amount,” Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley said. “Well, the courts have found otherwise.”<\/p>\n

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS \u2018SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Additionally, the Supreme Court also ruled in 1975 that the executive branch cannot impound funds without congressional oversight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to use all the funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawmakers have pointed to this case in Vought’s confirmation hearings as further evidence that the executive branch cannot tie up funding Congress has approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even so, Vought told lawmakers in multiple exchanges he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, because presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned on that position.<\/p>\n

Democrats aren\u2019t the only ones worried about Vought\u2019s views on the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought\u2019s nomination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vought also faced questioning on his views regarding abortion, given his connection as an author of Project 2025<\/a>, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes, including instituting a national ban on abortion medication.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You have said that you don\u2019t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother,” said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. “Is that your position?”<\/p>\n

“Senator, my views are not important. I\u2019m here on behalf of the president,” Vought said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Trump has repeatedly stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought on whether healthcare is a “human right.” Sanders has previously introduced legislation called the Medicare for All Act<\/a> that would establish a federal, national health insurance program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Do you think we should join every other major country on Earth and say, \u2018You know what? Whether you\u2019re poor, you\u2019re rich, you\u2019re young, you\u2019re old, healthcare is a human right,\u2019” Sanders said. “We have the richest country in the history of the world. Do you think we should do what every other major country on Earth does?”<\/p>\n

Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that he believed it’s critical to provide “legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for people within the healthcare system, and to make sure that we tailor all of the dollars that are spent toward that.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

After serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God,” according to its website. Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his meeting with Vought only exacerbated his concerns about the nomination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I walked out of the meeting even more deeply troubled,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “Of all the extremists President Trump could have picked for OMB, he picked the godfather of the ultra-right.”<\/p>\n

Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and that his personal views aren\u2019t important \u2014 carrying out Trump\u2019s vision is what matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president\u2019s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act.\u00a0 While Republicans argue that Russell Vought is qualified for the role because he served as Trump\u2019s OMB director during the president’s first … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31311\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}