The GOP-led Senate confirmed Russell Vought to once again become director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President Donald Trump after Democrats spent all night into the day protesting the nomination.
On Thursday evening, all Republicans voted in favor of Vought while every Democrat and the independents who caucus with them opposed the Cabinet nominee, resulting in a final 53-47 tally.
“Russ Vought will have the chance to address two key economic issues – cutting burdensome government regulations and addressing excessive spending,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in a post to X on Wednesday. “I am confident that he will help lead that charge.”
Vought led OMB during the first Trump administration and later founded the Center for Renewing America. In November, Trump picked Vought to serve another stint as leader of OMB, a role in which he is poised to work alongside the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its leader Elon Musk in enacting sweeping cuts to spending across the federal bureaucracy.
“Russ has spent many years working in Public Policy in Washington, D.C., and is an aggressive cost cutter and deregulator who will help us implement our America First Agenda across all Agencies,” Trump said in a statement. “Russ knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government, and he will help us return Self Governance to the People.”
When Vought appeared for his confirmation hearing last month, he testified about efficient use of taxpayer dollars to help U.S. citizens, citing the scourge of inflation fueled by “irresponsible” federal spending.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee later voted 8-7 to send Vought’s nomination to the full Senate. On Wednesday, the upper chamber voted 53-47 along party lines to break the filibuster on Vought’s nomination.
Democrats then pulled an all-nighter, using 30 hours of debate time to speak out on the Senate floor against the Cabinet pick. Many of them brought up Project 2025, which Trump disavowed in the midst of his campaign, and spending.
“I wouldn’t trust Russell Vought to run a 5K, let alone to run the federal government, let alone to run the process by which we distribute funds to the things that keep us safe and healthy and prosperous,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).
Ultimately, the Democrats were powerless to stop Vought’s confirmation on Thursday and even got shut down when some tried to speak out when the final vote was taking place.
“Democrats spent all night on the Senate floor to delay a vote on [Vought] for OMB Director. They’re wasting their time,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said in a post to X. “Americans made their voices heard by electing President Trump & we WILL deliver by confirming Trump’s team ASAP.”
The Senate has now confirmed more than a dozen of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and more are making their way through the confirmation process. Besides Vought, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is the only other Trump pick this cycle to get approval with only Republican votes, including Vice President JD Vance serving as tie-breaker.
Earlier on Thursday, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee secured a one-week delay on a vote to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director, to the full Senate. The same thing previously happened with Pam Bondi, who later advanced out of committee and was then confirmed by the Senate to become U.S. Attorney General on Tuesday.
After confirming Vought, the Senate proceeded with procedural steps that set the stage for final votes on Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence; Robert F. Kennedy, the pick to be HHS secretary; and other remaining nominees, likely to happen next week.
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