Russell Vought, nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has received confirmation from the U.S. Senate, despite the Democratic Party’s efforts to obstruct the process through an extensive filibuster filled with critiques of the current administration’s approach to federal spending.
On Thursday, the Senate conducted a vote on Vought’s confirmation, resulting in a 53-47 decision in favor of his appointment. This marks Vought’s second term in the role. The Republican Party demonstrated strong support for Vought, who is expected to significantly influence federal budget allocations, thereby diminishing Congress’s traditional control over fiscal matters.
Democrats uniformly opposed Vought’s confirmation; however, their collective dissent was insufficient to overcome the Republican majority in the Senate. Although it was anticipated that Vought would ultimately be confirmed, Democratic lawmakers faced considerable pressure from their constituents to resist the Trump administration and its America First policies.
Recognizing their inability to block the confirmation, Democratic senators aimed to at least prolong the process, dedicating 30 hours to procedural speeches that criticized the administration’s spending cuts. This initiative represents the first significant opposition to the second Trump administration. The previous evening, Democrats engaged in an all-night session, maintaining a presence on the Senate floor until the early hours of Thursday and continuing throughout the day.
In one of the speeches, Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, questioned, “Why doesn’t government run like a business?” He elaborated, stating, “If you ran government like a business, you would shut down every rural hospital.” Throughout the filibuster, Schatz took multiple opportunities to voice his concerns, occasionally passing the floor to Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senate Minority Leader C. also played a prominent role during this protest.
Unlike traditional filibusters, which require a single individual to occupy the floor for an extended period without interruption to halt proceedings indefinitely, the 30-hour time limit would have expired regardless of whether any speeches were delivered.
A significant factor contributing to the Democrats’ strong opposition to Vought is his authorship of the “Executive Office of the President” section in the controversial Project 2025 document.
The Democrats clearly articulated their position on Vought well in advance of the filibuster, conducting several press conferences to emphasize the implications of his confirmation.
“I wish they had the fortitude, for heaven’s sake, to reject him. I am aware that the Senate was in session throughout the night,” remarked Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, in an interview on Thursday. “Russ Vought should not be in public service. He truly ought to be dismissed. He poses a significant threat to our government.”
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, expressed her concerns on Wednesday regarding the Trump administration potentially retracting funds that had been specifically allocated for designated purposes.
Nevertheless, she ultimately cast her vote in favor of Vought, aligning with her Republican colleagues.
Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, commented in an interview last week that, regarding Vought, “There is no one better suited to eliminate all the unnecessary elements. He will collaborate closely with the DOGE team to determine the necessary actions for effective delivery.”
During his confirmation hearing last month before the Budget Committee, Vought stated, “The president campaigned on the premise that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. I concur with that view.”
