The US Senate has confirmed Russell Vought as President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the White House budget office after a prolonged all-night hearing by Democrats in protest.
Vought's appointment to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has stirred controversy due to his involvement in drafting Project 2025, a set of conservative priorities for Trump's potential second term.
During the overnight session into Thursday, Democrats criticized Vought's association with Trump's measures to downsize the federal government; however, Republican votes secured his confirmation with a 53-47 win due to the Democratic minority.
Project 2025, formulated by the Heritage Foundation, proposes bringing the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies like the Department of Justice, under direct presidential authority, removing job protections for numerous government employees, advocating for a ban on abortion, and more.
Vought authored a crucial section on the presidential executive office in the project and served as the GOP's 2024 platform policy director.
In his new role, Vought will oversee the $6.75 trillion federal budget, a position he previously held during Trump's first term.
Democrats have strongly opposed Trump's budget decisions, including cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), alleged security breaches involving Elon Musk, and efforts to reduce the federal workforce through buyout programs.
Facing Trump's swift executive actions, Democrats concentrated on funding issues and the federal budget in their overnight session, using Vought as an example to derail his confirmation.
He was depicted as Trump's "most dangerous nominee" by Democrats for his management of Congress-allocated funds.
In a bid to block his confirmation, Democrats labeled Vought as the most radical nominee with the most extreme agenda, with Senate leader Chuck Schumer denouncing him as such.
Republicans' majority in the chamber rendered it impossible for Democrats to prevent Vought's confirmation without Republican objections.
All Republicans, including Utah Senator Mike Lee, supported Vought, with Lee commending him as a budget-cutting leader for OMB.
Anthony Zurcher contributed to this report.