As reported by the New Republic, Russell Vought, who serves as the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is poised to take on a substantial share of DOGE’s duties. This includes the reclassification of federal employees, working alongside Congress to reclaim funds, and promoting his proposed budget for 2025, which aims to significantly cut government funding.
As a lesser-known ally of Musk, he has already praised his department’s initiatives to reduce federal regulations, emphasizing President Trump’s commitment to eliminate 10 regulations for every single one that exists.
Vought played a pivotal role in Project 2025, a stringent conservative agenda that Democrats argue serves as a framework for Trump’s potential second term, which will likely provoke their outrage regarding this appointment.
The proposal called for the dissolution of the Department of Homeland Security and significant reductions in Social Security and Medicare. Although Trump attempted to distance himself from the manifesto, it faced widespread condemnation from left-leaning voters as the presidential election approached.
Nonetheless, Trump appointed Vought as his chief fiscal officer, who is anticipated to carry out Musk’s extensive cuts to federal agencies, resulting in large-scale protests due to the closure of entire departments.
In light of an executive directive issued in February that instructed heads of government agencies to begin rescinding “unlawful rules,” DOGE is expected to focus on regulatory reductions in the coming months.
Vought is projected to prioritize Schedule F, an executive order signed by Trump during his first term, which eliminated employment protections for numerous high-ranking federal employees.
The Biden administration suspended the directive; however, following Trump’s return to office in January, he reinstated it.
Additionally, it is anticipated that the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will urge Congress to act on Trump’s $9.3 billion rescission package, which seeks to reclaim funds from PBS, the State Department, USAID, and National Public Radio.
Nevertheless, his attempts to reduce the federal budget have rendered him a target among his Republican colleagues.
Vought is at odds with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as he has set a goal to limit the growth of military spending.
In contrast to Vought’s plan, which aims to maintain military spending at its current levels, any increases in expenditure would only be achievable through a process known as budget reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans were taken aback by the White House’s proposal and believed that Hegseth had assured them that military spending would once again rise in the forthcoming budget.
According to the Journal, there are now concerns that the military may face long-term shortages if they merely receive a temporary increase through the reconciliation process, and they hold Vought responsible for the imbalance.
The budget director has previously articulated his intention to obstruct the Democrats’ efforts to achieve parity, which involves raising domestic spending to match the increasing military expenditures.
The Journal reports that Vought is in favor of augmenting military spending, as this can be achieved through the reconciliation process rather than the traditional budget process.
His initial budget proposal suggested a $163 billion reduction in discretionary spending for nondefense purposes.
However, the plan also proposed utilizing reconciliation to add approximately $120 billion to current laws.
The budget director has previously articulated his intention to obstruct the Democrats’ efforts to achieve parity, which involves raising domestic spending to match the increasing military expenditures.
The Journal reports that Vought is in favor of augmenting military spending, as this can be achieved through the reconciliation process rather than the traditional budget process.
His initial budget proposal suggested a $163 billion reduction in discretionary spending for nondefense purposes.
However, the plan also proposed utilizing reconciliation to add approximately $120 billion to current laws.
