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3w ago

House Appropriators Press OMB’s Russell Vought on Mass Firings, Budget Gaps and DOGE Shake-up

Lawmakers heard his defense of using legal levers to halt appropriations alongside a 13% boost to his own agency’s budget request.

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Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought informed Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in a letter on Friday about the  proposal that would shrink the budget by 22.6%, or $163 billion.
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Overview

  • Members of the House Appropriations subcommittee, including Republicans and Democrats, challenged Vought over the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers and the freezing of congressionally approved grants.
  • Vought rejected accusations of unconstitutional impoundment under the Impoundment Control Act, arguing the administration is using legal pauses to curb waste and realign spending.
  • Lawmakers pressed for a complete FY2026 budget after the White House released only a “skinny” budget document, warning that gaps could delay the appropriations process.
  • Despite proposing steep cuts to numerous federal programs, Vought defended his request for a 13% increase in funding and staffing for the Office of Management and Budget.
  • He faced scrutiny over leadership changes at the Department of Government Efficiency and defended proposed reductions to foreign aid programs, including PEPFAR.