Trump’s pick for budget chief echoes his ‘power of the purse’ dreams

Russell Vought wouldn't commit to having the federal government spend all the money Congress approves.

The issue came up during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, where he testified before lawmakers in pursuit of a second tour as White House budget director for President-elect Donald Trump.

Vought famously froze aid to Ukraine and Puerto Rico the first time he ran the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration. Now that Trump is claiming so-called “impoundment” law is unconstitutional, senators in both parties are eager to hear Vought promise to spend federal cash as Congress intends.

Instead, Vought reiterated to senators on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that Trump believes presidents can spend less than Congress prescribes.

During his first confirmation hearing to be Trump’s nominee to head OMB, senators pressed Vought on whether he believes the impoundment law protecting Congress’ “power of the purse” should be upheld.

“As you know, the president has run on that issue,” Vought said. “He believes it’s unconstitutional. For 200 years, presidents had the ability to spend less than an appropriation if they could do it for less, and we have seen the extent to which this law has contributed to waste, fraud and abuse.”

Vought repeatedly declined to elaborate on how he would approach the issue if confirmed to head the budget office.

“I’m giving you my commitment to uphold the law of the land,” he told senators, adding that Trump’s advisers “will be developing our approach to this issue and strategy once his administration is in office.”

From left, Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are seen during Vought's confirmation hearing.

Vought ultimately billed himself as a Trump devotee committed to fulfilling the wishes of the president-elect.

“I'm here for the president's agenda,” he said. “And my view of OMB is that it's a very important office — it touches all aspects of the federal government — and that it is important for the president to have someone in this role that wants to accomplish his agenda and not their own personal agenda. That's what I'm known for, and that's what I'll continue to be, if confirmed.”

He also said he disagrees with the opinions of federal watchdogs that concluded that the first Trump administration violated the law by withholding aid, including by freezing assistance to Ukraine.

“We followed the law consistently, and we will continue to do so,” Vought said Wednesday.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) questioned how lawmakers will be able to broker “good faith” bipartisan agreements on government funding if the incoming Trump administration disregards the will of Congress.

“How do we negotiate with somebody who says, ‘I’m just going to do what I want. To hell with the Constitution?’” Peters asked.

Even some Republican senators have said they are worried Trump will usurp Congress’ authority. “The power of the purse is Congress,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said during Vought’s confirmation hearing.

“I think if we appropriate something for a cause, that's where it's supposed to go,” Paul said. “And that will still be my position.”

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