Russell Vought Poised to Expand Power of White House Budget Office

While leading the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration, Russell T.Vought took steps to force federal employees to work without pay during a government shutdown, froze military aid for Ukraine and railed against “wasteful spending” such as foreign aid and organizing unions in other nations.Mr.

Vought, whom President-elect Donald J.Trump has tapped to head the budget office in his next term, has since developed an even more expansive view of the White House budget director’s role.In his writing and speeches, Mr.

Vought has made clear that he sees the role as an opportunity to vastly shrink the federal government.He wants to cull its work force, claim “impoundment” authority to allow the executive branch to claw back congressionally approved funding for government agencies and overhaul the so-called administrative state.Mr.

Vought will make that case publicly on Wednesday when he testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about his qualifications to once again lead the budget office.If confirmed, Mr.Vought will be far more than a number cruncher in the second Trump administration.

He could play a key role in carrying out Mr.Trump’s agenda to shrink the federal government.In an interview with the conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson in November, Mr.

Vought described the Office of Management and Budget as the “nerve center” of the federal government and a tool for taming bureaucracy.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....