Russell Vought confirmed to head government's leading budget office after Dems hold 30-hour protest

Despite Democratic tactics to hold the confirmation vote, the Senate confirmed Russell Vought to pb the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Republicans backed Vought’s nomination, arguing helium proved a qualified campaigner for the relation since helium antecedently held the presumption during President Donald Trump’s archetypal term. Democrats, however, raised aggregate concerns astir his information and said his views connected the Impoundment Control Act, which reinforces that Congress holds the powerfulness of the purse, disqualified him from the role. 

Democrats held a 30-hour-long protestation against Vought's nomination, delivering speeches successful the mediate of the nighttime connected Wednesday successful an effort to hold the confirmation vote. 

The Senate, successful a chaotic last level ballot connected Thursday evening, voted to corroborate Vought to pb the OMB.

SENATE DEMOCRATS SPEAK ALL NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP OMB NOMINEE, DELAYING CONFIRMATION VOTE

Democratic Senators repeatedly injected themselves during the confirmation vote, protesting the information until the past second.

"No statement is permitted during a vote," Republican Sen. Ashley Moody told the lawmakers.

The Office of Management and Budget is liable for processing and executing the president’s budget, arsenic good arsenic overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the enforcement branch. 

Vought appeared earlier the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for confirmation hearings, wherever helium defended statements asserting that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. 

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR CLEARS SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CONFIRMATION VOTE

The law, adopted successful 1974, stipulates that Congress whitethorn oversee the enforcement branch’s withholdings of fund authority. But Vought encountered disapproval from Democrats for freezing $214 cardinal successful subject assistance for Ukraine successful 2019 — a determination that yet led to Trump’s archetypal impeachment.   

"You’re rather comfy assuming that the instrumentality doesn’t substance and that you’ll conscionable dainty the wealth for a programme arsenic a ceiling … alternatively than a required amount," Senate Budget Committee ranking subordinate Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Wednesday. "Well, the courts person recovered otherwise." 

In the 1975 Supreme Court ruling Train v. New York, the tribunal determined the Environmental Protection Agency indispensable usage afloat backing included successful the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, adjacent though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders to not usage each the funding. 

Even so, Vought told lawmakers that Trump campaigned connected the presumption that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — and that helium agrees with that. 

Vought’s statements connected the contented near Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., "astonished and aghast" during 1 confirmation hearing. 

"I deliberation our colleagues should beryllium arsenic aghast, due to the fact that this contented goes beyond Republican oregon Democrat," Blumenthal said connected Jan. 15. "It’s bigger than 1 medication oregon another. It’s whether the instrumentality of the onshore should prevail, oregon possibly it’s up for grabs, depending connected what the president thinks."

Vought besides faced questioning from Democrats connected his views regarding termination arsenic an writer of Project 2025, a governmental inaugural blimpish deliberation vessel The Heritage Foundation released successful 2023 that called for argumentation changes that would instrumentality a nationalist prohibition connected medicine abortion. 

Other proposals included successful Project 2025 see eliminating the Department of Education, cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and reducing backing for Medicare and Medicaid. 

"You person said that you don’t judge successful exceptions for rape, for incest, oregon the beingness of the mother," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said during a confirmation proceeding connected Wednesday. "Is that your position?"

"Senator, my views are not important," Vought said. "I’m present connected behalf of the president." 

Trump repeatedly has stated that helium backs termination successful definite instances, and stated that "powerful exceptions" for abortion would stay successful spot nether his administration.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.