Senate Democrats boycott Trump's budget office director pick in wake of attempted funding freeze

WASHINGTON — After an attempt this week by President Donald Trump’s budget office to freeze federal funding to determine if it aligned ideologically with his priorities, Senate Democrats, including Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, boycotted a budget committee vote for the president’s budget office pick, Russell Vought.

Republicans on the budget committee voted 11-0 to recommend Vought’s confirmation Thursday afternoon, lining him up for a confirmation vote in the full Senate.

The Project 2025 co-author served as Office of Management and Budget director during Trump’s first term, and in a Senate hearing last week, said he believes the Impoundment Control Act, a law affirming Congress’s constitutionally held power to dictate federal spending, is unconstitutional.

Democratic members of the Senate budget committee boycotted the vote on Vought because of the attempted funding freeze, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Although the OMB memo has been rescinded, White House officials have said Trump’s executive order related to the Monday memo is still in effect, causing “more confusion, more chaos,” Luján said.

The memo likely would have paused funding to municipalities and nonprofits in New Mexico for a wide swath of government services.

Although the memo itself was paused by a federal judge before the deadline for it to go into effect, law enforcement and housing programs reliant on federal grants in New Mexico had difficulty accessing funds Tuesday. The online portals they use were frozen. The New Mexico Health Care Authority, the primary state agency for running Medicaid, couldn’t access $40 million in federal funds until Wednesday afternoon, the Journal reported. Head Start program staff were also concerned by the freeze, worried they might have trouble making payroll, Luján said.

Other Cabinet picks

Trump’s controversial nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was grilled by senators in hearings Wednesday and Thursday, while his pick to oversee national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Interior secretary nominee, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday evening in a vote of 79-18. The Senate is expected to vote on Energy secretary nominee, fossil fuel executive Chris Wright, on Friday.