Russ Vought, Trump’s nominee, asserts the president can legally withhold funds approved by Congress, raising bipartisan concerns.
Washington: So, there’s this big deal happening with Russ Vought, who’s been nominated by Trump to head the Office of Management and Budget. He had a hearing recently, and it seems like he’s on track to get confirmed, even though some Democrats are a bit worried about his past actions.
During the hearing, Vought, who used to run a conservative think tank, didn’t spill much about how he’d handle various policies. But he did say something interesting: he and Trump think the president can withhold funds that Congress has approved. This is a big deal because it’s actually against a law from the 1970s.
Vought mentioned that many past presidents have used this power, and they plan to figure out their strategy once Trump is in office. This could lead to some serious pushback from both parties, especially if Trump decides to freeze funding. It might even end up in the Supreme Court!
Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat, raised a good point. He asked how Congress could work together on bipartisan bills if a president could just choose not to spend money on things they didn’t like. It’s a fair question, right?
Peters also brought up Vought’s record from the first Trump administration, saying it raised some serious concerns about how he’d run the budget office. Vought defended himself, saying he never broke any laws and would continue to follow them if confirmed.
Later on, Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Vought if he’d commit to releasing about $100 billion in disaster aid that Congress had approved. Vought said they’d keep releasing the money as needed, but when it came to military aid for Ukraine, he was a bit more cautious and didn’t want to jump ahead of Trump.
On the other hand, Senator Rand Paul seemed pretty optimistic about Vought, saying he’s well-qualified and could help control federal spending, which is a huge issue right now with the government’s debt skyrocketing.
