Today, we’ll vote on the nomination of Russ Vought to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Mr. Vought served as the OMB Director for much of President Trump’s first term – and before that, was its Deputy Director of the same agency. So, he’s clearly qualified for this job.
My discussions with Mr. Vought focused on the nation’s dismal fiscal trajectory, overregulation, congressional oversight and respect for whistleblowers.
With the federal government running a $2 trillion annual deficit and a national debt approaching $37 trillion, a fiscally sound budget is more important than ever.
I’m counting on Mr. Vought to help the President chart a new fiscal path.
That will not be an easy job.
In addition to reining in spending, Mr. Vought understands the need to cut red tape.
For too long, overzealous and unelected bureaucracies have sought to use regulation to stretch the meaning of laws beyond congressional intent.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision last year in Loper Bright should be used by OMB to place a check on out-of-control rulemaking.
Mr. Vought and I also had a good discussion on the importance of responding to congressional letters and respecting whistleblowers.
He not only agreed with me, but expressed interest in helping ensure timely responses to Congress and respect for whistleblowers as the norm across government agencies.
I look forward to working with Mr. Vought on rightsizing the federal government.
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