WASHINGTON — Russell Vought, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the budget director at the White House, hesitated on Wednesday to give a full assurance regarding the release of congressionally authorized funds, particularly concerning military assistance to Ukraine.
Vought was questioned during his confirmation hearing about his time as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during Trump’s initial term. He made it clear that he would adhere to legal requirements, while also mentioning Trump’s interest in reconsidering the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which mandates that any spending cuts must have congressional approval.
Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, brought up Vought’s earlier decision to withhold $214 million in military aid to Ukraine in 2019, an action that contributed to Trump’s impeachment proceedings.
“I will always commit to upholding the law,” Vought replied, but this affirmation did not meet Peters’ expectations.
As the day progressed, Vought’s stance appeared to soften when Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, inquired whether he would endorse the allocation of $3.8 billion in aid to support Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
“I’m not going to get ahead of the policy response of the incoming administration,” Vought stated, noting his establishment of the Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy organization, in 2021.
In response to Vought’s comments, Blumenthal expressed shock, suggesting it was troubling that someone in such a crucial role would imply that presidential actions could supersede legal requirements.
Despite these discussions, Vought did provide some insights into potential budget plans when addressing queries from Republican senators, hinting at the need for spending reductions to tackle ongoing budget deficits that have inflated the national debt beyond $28 trillion.
Vought, who played a significant role in Project 2025, warned that this debt would burden future generations as more taxpayer money would go toward servicing it.
“The president ran on the issue of fiscal accountability, dealing with our inflation situation,” he commented, suggesting that reductions could target discretionary social programs and that job growth could yield savings.
In a report released in June, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal oversight group, highlighted the debt increases during Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s administrations. Their study indicated that policies enacted under Trump resulted in an $8.4 trillion increase in debt, while those under Biden accounted for $4.3 trillion, with a significant portion attributed to pandemic response efforts in 2020.
