Overview

• The Senate confirmed Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget in a 53-47 party-line vote, following intense opposition from Democrats.
• Vought is a key architect of the right-wing Project 2025 policy agenda, which advocates for significant restructuring of the federal government, including replacing career civil servants with political appointees.
• As OMB Director, Vought plans to implement steep budget cuts targeting anti-poverty programs, education, and healthcare, while expanding defense spending and enforcing work requirements for benefit recipients.
• Vought supports the controversial 'unitary executive' theory, asserting expansive presidential power to unilaterally control federal spending, a stance that has drawn legal and constitutional challenges.
• The confirmation signals the Trump administration's broader push to consolidate executive power, with actions like reinstating Schedule F to ease firing federal employees and reshaping independent agencies.