Oregon — Four Senate Democrats, including Oregon’s Jeff Merkley, are demanding that Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought resign, accusing him of abusing executive authority and undermining Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.
In a joint statement released October 11, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan charged that Vought has “weaponized the federal government” through what they called an illegal use of pocket rescissions — a process that allows the administration to withhold funds Congress has already appropriated.
“Russ Vought’s repeated defiance of congressional spending authority threatens the checks and balances that make our democracy function,” the statement said. “He is unfit to serve, and he must resign.” The demand follows a series of budget and regulatory initiatives rolled out by the Trump administration in recent months.
In late August, the White House announced what it called a Historic Pocket Rescission Package, eliminating what officials described as “woke, weaponized, and wasteful spending.” The package targeted more than $5 billion in international and domestic programs, including diversity-related federal grants and certain foreign aid accounts.
The administration claimed the move was legal under its interpretation of executive budget authority. Critics argue that it violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which prevents presidents from canceling or delaying congressionally approved funding without legislative approval.
Vought, who previously served as OMB Director in the Trump administration, has reemerged as a central figure in the president’s fiscal strategy, overseeing both the budget cuts and a broader deregulation push inside the federal procurement system.
In September, OMB’s Cost Accounting Standards Board proposed to eliminate more than 60 accounting requirements for federal contractors, arguing the rules are “unnecessary and redundant.” The proposal would allow companies to rely more heavily on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) instead of maintaining costly parallel accounting systems under the government’s standards.
At the same time, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Small Business Administration issued a joint statement reaffirming commitments to expand small-business participation in federal contracting — a move the administration says will simplify processes and reduce red tape for smaller firms.
Senate Democrats say Vought’s approach is part of a broader trend of executive overreach. “From rescinding congressionally approved funds to unilaterally rewriting procurement rules, this administration has shown contempt for the law and the legislative branch,” Merkley said in his statement.
Fiscal conservatives, however, have praised Vought’s actions. The Conservative Action Project, a coalition of right-leaning policy leaders and organizations, previously issued a public statement supporting President Trump’s pocket rescission initiative and praising OMB Director Russ Vought for advancing spending cuts. The group stated “[c]onservatives are united behind the efforts of President Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought in pursuing a robust strategy of pocket rescissions to cut spending and return accountability to the federal government.”
Vought, who has not responded publicly to the resignation calls, remains a key architect of the administration’s efforts to restructure federal budgeting and oversight. During confirmation Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) supported Vought calling him “well-qualified” and stating “I remain hopeful that the incoming administration will take the necessary steps to restore fiscal sanity.”
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