Senate Panel Advances Nomination for Trump’s Budget Chief as Democrats Boycott Vote

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) says Russell Vought is a ’threat to democracy.”

Russel Vought, then-President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget, testifies before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has inched one step closer to being the White House budget chief.

Following a closed Jan. 30 meeting, Senate Budget Committee Republicans voted 11–0 in favor of Vought’s nomination. His nomination will now be sent to the Senate floor in the coming days.