Russell Vought’s nomination to be White House budget director will advance to the Senate floor despite a last-minute move by Senate Democrats to boycott his committee vote. Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee voted unanimously to advance Vought’s nomination as Democrats protest a now-rescinded funding freeze by the Trump administration.

The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday advanced Russell Vought’s nomination as Office of Management and Budget director, despite the panel’s 10 Democrats skipping the vote in protest.

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate Budget Committee will move ahead on confirming President Donald Trump's pick for budget chief Russell Vought despite calls from top Democrats for a delay after an order halting all federal grants and loans.

Russell Vought has signaled he hopes to slash spending — and push the limits of presidential power to achieve Trump’s agenda.

Vought, a co-author of Project 2025 who served as budget director in Donald Trump's first term, has signaled he will take a more aggressive approach to helping the president-elect carry out his agenda of shrinking the federal government.

Russell Vought, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget, poses for a photo with Cabinet picks, other nominees and appointments, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Senate Budget Committee Republicans approved Russ Vought’s nomination to serve as President Donald Trump’s budget director on Thursday, overcoming the absence of Democrats on the panel who boycotted the markup.