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Van Hollen, Colleagues Demand Hold on Vought Nomination to OMB Amid Order to Halt Federal Grants and Loans

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees, joined Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),  Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), in pressing Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to postpone a vote on Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) until he answers questions regarding his role in the illegal freeze of many federal grants and loans that have already been appropriated by Congress. The freeze has sowed confusion among federal agencies. Since the Trump Administration announced this freeze, the Senator has heard concerns from across Maryland — including fire departments, community health centers, child care centers, community organizations, and more — about how they could be impacted. The Administration’s broad directive has left many Marylanders wondering whether federal support for health care, housing, transportation, and other critical programs will continue. Last week, Senator Van Hollen questioned Mr. Vought during his Budget Committee nomination hearing regarding Vought’s commitment to following the law. Video of the Senator’s questioning and a transcript of the exchange can be viewed here.

“While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee,” the senators wrote.

The senators continued, “It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.”

In addition to Senators Van Hollen, Merkley, and Schumer, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Senator Graham:

During the Budget Committee’s hearing on Wednesday, January 22 to examine the nomination of Russell T. Vought to serve as the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Mr. Vought was repeatedly evasive about whether, if confirmed, he would advise the President to impound Congressionally-appropriated funds in clear violation of Article II of the Constitution and the unambiguous text of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

In written responses to questions following the hearing, Mr. Vought continued his refusal to answer direct questions about how executive orders to pause foreign aid funding, as well as funding authorized and appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, complied with the law.

Now, less than a week after the hearing, it is clear that Mr. Vought’s non-answers were an effort to thwart the Committee from getting the truth of the Trump administration’s plan, per OMB memorandum M-25-13, to freeze all funding for “Federal financial assistance programs.” While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee.

It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.

For those reasons, we request that the business meeting to consider Mr. Vought’s nomination, currently scheduled for Thursday, January 30, be postponed for two weeks so the Committee may get full responses to the questions Mr. Vought has thus far refused to answer.

Sincerely,