Russell Vought’s nomination to be White House budget director will advance to the Senate floor despite a last-minute move by Senate Democrats to boycott his committee vote. Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee voted unanimously to advance Vought’s nomination as Democrats protest a now-rescinded funding freeze by the Trump administration.

The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday advanced Russell Vought’s nomination as Office of Management and Budget director, despite the panel’s 10 Democrats skipping the vote in protest.

FILE PHOTO: Russell Vought, U.S. President Trump's nominee to be director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), testifies before a Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal/File photo

Russell Vought has signaled he hopes to slash spending — and push the limits of presidential power to achieve Trump’s agenda.

Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, promised to help American taxpayers while undergoing a contentious confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

After Trump's defeat, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank. In speeches he made in 2023 and 2024, Vought described how he helped create legal justifications to prevent military leaders and government lawyers from obstructing Trump's executive actions, ProPublica reported.

Senate Budget Committee Republicans approved Russ Vought’s nomination to serve as President Donald Trump’s budget director on Thursday, overcoming the absence of Democrats on the panel who boycotted the markup.