As Congress codifies government cuts, Russell Vought promises more to come
| Washington
As congressional Republicans near the finish line on authorizing $9 billion in federal cuts made by the Trump administration, the man who helped those cuts over the finish line hinted that it was just the beginning.
Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told reporters at a 海角大神 Science Monitor Breakfast that the administration will likely push for legislation clawing back spending that Congress previously authorized.
The comments come as Congress is on the cusp of passing $9 billion in rescissions, which allow the administration to request that Congress let it cancel spending on previously authorized funds. This legislative tool, which hasn鈥檛 been used since the 1990s, is helping the Trump administration reshape the executive branch while dramatically strengthening its hand vis-a-vis Congress in a way not seen in the modern era.
Why We Wrote This
At a Monitor Breakfast, President Donald Trump鈥檚 Office of Management and Budget director took a victory lap 鈥� and pledged more government cuts to come.
鈥淭his is the kind of thing that鈥檚 necessary for us to change the paradigm of the way the town has worked,鈥� Mr. Vought said.
鈥淭he notion that we have now dusted off a process that allows on a majority basis to come along after and cut funding is very, very substantial,鈥� he continued.
Mr. Vought, who was an architect of the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 Project 2025 for the new administration and who also served as OMB director during Mr. Trump鈥檚 first term, has become arguably the most powerful figure in the Trump administration on fiscal issues. And while he tried to downplay his influence somewhat 鈥� 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have an expansive role. I鈥檓 the director of OMB,鈥� he said at one point 鈥揾e made clear exactly how influential he had been in the Trump administration鈥檚 recent congressional wins.
He played a critical role in getting Republicans to pass the sprawling tax, immigration, and Medicaid cut law the GOP dubbed the 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥� earlier this month, and was on Capitol Hill this week negotiating the final Senate agreement to get this rescissions bill passed with reluctant Republican senators before a Friday deadline. The final deal left out planned Trump administration cuts for PEPFAR, a global anti-AIDS program, but codified the rest of the package.
The Senate passed a bill to formalize $9 billion in spending cuts early Thursday morning, including major clawbacks of foreign aid and a slashing of government funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. The final bill needs to once again pass the GOP-controlled House, a formality which is expected to happen in the next day. If the bill had not passed, the money included in the spending would have been returned to the administration, which would have had to spend it.
Mr. Vought said that he and his team were 鈥渧ery excited鈥� about their pending congressional win. And he said that more is on the way 鈥� saying another rescissions package is 鈥渓ikely to come soon,鈥� while declining to discuss specifics of timing or content.
And he made it clear he was enjoying himself. 鈥淲e鈥檙e having fun,鈥� he said about his work.
Mr. Vought touched on various government cuts, and policy and constitutional concerns raised by some congressional Republicans about his proposed plans, and discussed his sharp criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Here鈥檚 what he had to say in his hour-long breakfast with reporters.
On withholding education funds
At the beginning of July, OMB withheld a authorized in law to support state school districts鈥� summer programs, teacher training, adult learning, after-school programs, and education for migrant students.
On Wednesday, 10 Republican senators to Mr. Vought demanding that the congressionally appropriated funds be released.
Mr. Vought said he thought the Republicans who signed the letter had 鈥減arochial reasons for supporting the spending,鈥� and said that the funds were currently 鈥渦nder programmatic review,鈥� claiming that the programs were 鈥渞iddled鈥� with 鈥渃ritical race theory funding.鈥�
鈥淲e have concerns with these programs. They鈥檙e the ones that we鈥檙e going to study the most, and we鈥檙e going through that process. It鈥檚 multiyear funding. We鈥檝e got a lot going on. We鈥檙e aware of the senators鈥� opinions, and we do take them seriously,鈥� he said.
In defending the move, Mr. Vought offered insight into his strategic approach to Congress 鈥� and his own temperament.
鈥淲hat I have often found is, until you take a hard line with regard to a particular program, the debate doesn鈥檛 really start,鈥� he said. 鈥淯ntil you say, 鈥榳e鈥檙e reviewing this,鈥� it misses some kind of commonly expected deadline 鈥� that鈥檚 when you actually have an opportunity to get in a room with someone and say, 鈥楬ave you seen what this program funds? We think you鈥檇 be very concerned about it.鈥欌��
On 鈥減ocket rescissions鈥�
Mr. Vought has floated the idea of using 鈥減ocket rescissions鈥� to refuse to spend more money that had already been appropriated by Congress. The plan would have President Trump issue a request to claw back funding like the rescissions plan that鈥檚 about to pass Congress, but send it within 45 days of the Oct. 1 fiscal new year. The administration would then treat that money as expired when that date arrives, regardless of what Congress does.
The Government Accountability Office, the executive branch鈥檚 top watchdog, has said it would be unlawful to do so.
Some Republicans agree: Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins that she thought pocket rescissions were 鈥渋llegal鈥� and contradict the will of Congress and the constitutional authority of Congress to appropriate funds.鈥�
Mr. Vought said the option is one of the legitimate 鈥渆xecutive tools鈥� that鈥檚 鈥渙n the table.鈥� He added, 鈥淲e certainly want to bring in Congress where we can. But 鈥� the president was elected to get us to balance, to deal with our fiscal situation, and we鈥檙e going to use all of the tools that are there depending on the situation and as we move through the year.鈥�
On why Congress 鈥渉as to be less bipartisan鈥�
Democrats 鈥� and some Republicans 鈥� have warned that passing the rescissions package will make it much harder for them to cut a deal to avoid a government shutdown this fall.
The fiscal year expires Oct. 1, and Democrats have pointed out that they have much less impetus to work on a deal to avoid a government shutdown if they can鈥檛 trust that any funds they secure for programs they value will actually be spent by the administration. The legislation will take a supermajority of 60 votes and need some Democratic support because of Senate rules.
Mr. Vought scoffed at the idea that this was a valuable process.
鈥淲ho ran and won on an agenda of a bipartisan appropriations process? Literally no one. No Democrat, no Republican. There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, 鈥業鈥檓 voting for a bipartisan appropriations process,鈥欌�� he said.
鈥淭he appropriations process has to be less bipartisan. We鈥檙e $37 trillion in debt, and we produce CRs [continuing resolutions] every year,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 actually think that over time, if we have a more partisan appropriations process for a time, it will lead to more bipartisanship.鈥�
His argument is that if rescissions, pocket rescissions, and the executive branch impounding spending are on the table, 鈥淭he only game in town is the actual budget process working.鈥�
He argued the administration refusing to spend congressionally appropriated money is in line with the U.S. Constitution.
鈥淲e are not saying that the power of the purse does not belong with Congress. It absolutely does. It is one of the most constitutional foundational principles. But 鈥� It鈥檚 a ceiling. It is not a floor. It is not the notion that you have to spend every last dollar of that,鈥� he said.
On his criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Mr. Vought has been harshly critical of Fed Chair Powell, whom Mr. Trump appointed seven years ago but now often criticizes sharply.
Mr. Vought echoed his boss in expressing frustration that the Fed has kept interest rates high, making it more expensive to borrow money and slowing the economy, because of concerns that Mr. Trump鈥檚 threatened tariffs are fueling further inflation.
鈥淥ur main concern with the Fed is that they鈥檙e always late鈥� on adjusting interest rates, Mr. Vought said.
President Trump has toyed with the idea of firing Mr. Powell, though it鈥檚 unclear whether he has the constitutional authority to do so.
Both he and Mr. Vought have blamed Mr. Powell for cost overruns on work being done on the Federal Reserve Building, a seeming pretext for possibly firing him.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 even do a building right,鈥� Mr. Vought said.
He鈥檚 been pushing for an investigation. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping for answers, we鈥檙e hoping for a site visit in the next week or so at the Fed,鈥� he said.
But Powell鈥檚 term is up in eight months, and on Wednesday Mr. Trump said he wasn鈥檛 likely to fire him before then, which Mr. Vought pointed out.
Editor鈥檚 note: This article was expanded after its initial publication July 17.
