Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Vought's Budget Battles: Trump's OMB Director at the Center of Fiscal Disputes
Published 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Description
There has been intense attention in Washington around decisions made by Russ Vought, who currently serves as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In the last few days, Vought has been at the center of major fiscal disputes between President Trump’s administration and congressional Democrats, with consequences for hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending. According to Punchbowl News, Vought and President Trump have waged a prolonged struggle with Hill Democrats, particularly as a potential government shutdown looms with the new fiscal year approaching at the end of September.
A significant point of contention involves the administration’s use of what is being called a pocket rescission. As reported by The Maine Wire, Vought alongside General Counsel Mark Paoletta, supported the President’s decision to cancel nearly five billion dollars in previously approved federal funding. They emphasized that similar tools were used by Presidents Ford and Carter, and argued the action is legal as long as the money is withheld for forty five days after formally requesting Congress review it. However, since there are now less than forty five days before the fiscal year ends, this move effectively cancels the funding without any congressional response.
Senator Susan Collins, ranking Republican and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as quoted in official statements, strongly criticized the maneuver, calling it an “apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval.” She pointed out that the Government Accountability Office has concluded that such a move is unlawful and violates the Impoundment Control Act, which preserves congressional authority over federal spending.
Government Executive recently highlighted another dimension to this story, noting that at least four hundred billion dollars in federal funding have either been frozen or canceled by the Trump administration since the spring, according to tracking by Democratic appropriators. Vought pushed back strongly on these claims, labeling them inaccurate and politically motivated, while testifying that the administration is merely conducting a programmatic review of spending and dismissing the term impoundment as improper.
These battles come as both sides maneuver to avoid a shutdown and grapple with the future of appropriations bills for the new fiscal year. Republicans are divided over strategy, with some pushing for short term funding extensions and others advocating for longer stopgaps. Vought has been instrumental in shaping White House strategy by supporting moves that extend stopgap funding and offer more flexibility to reallocate funds, though this effort faces intense opposition in the Senate and from public employee unions.
Thank you for tuning in and please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
A significant point of contention involves the administration’s use of what is being called a pocket rescission. As reported by The Maine Wire, Vought alongside General Counsel Mark Paoletta, supported the President’s decision to cancel nearly five billion dollars in previously approved federal funding. They emphasized that similar tools were used by Presidents Ford and Carter, and argued the action is legal as long as the money is withheld for forty five days after formally requesting Congress review it. However, since there are now less than forty five days before the fiscal year ends, this move effectively cancels the funding without any congressional response.
Senator Susan Collins, ranking Republican and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as quoted in official statements, strongly criticized the maneuver, calling it an “apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval.” She pointed out that the Government Accountability Office has concluded that such a move is unlawful and violates the Impoundment Control Act, which preserves congressional authority over federal spending.
Government Executive recently highlighted another dimension to this story, noting that at least four hundred billion dollars in federal funding have either been frozen or canceled by the Trump administration since the spring, according to tracking by Democratic appropriators. Vought pushed back strongly on these claims, labeling them inaccurate and politically motivated, while testifying that the administration is merely conducting a programmatic review of spending and dismissing the term impoundment as improper.
These battles come as both sides maneuver to avoid a shutdown and grapple with the future of appropriations bills for the new fiscal year. Republicans are divided over strategy, with some pushing for short term funding extensions and others advocating for longer stopgaps. Vought has been instrumental in shaping White House strategy by supporting moves that extend stopgap funding and offer more flexibility to reallocate funds, though this effort faces intense opposition in the Senate and from public employee unions.
Thank you for tuning in and please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI