Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee boycotted a meeting Thursday to advance Russell Vought’s nomination to chair the Office of Budget and Management—but of course, Republicans still forged ahead to put his candidacy to a vote.

Vought, who was believed to be a major player in the controversial "Project 2025" blueprint, wrote "I believe that the 2020 election was rigged.”

Senate Democrats are demanding that Republicans postpone a vote scheduled for Thursday on Russell Vought, President Trump’s nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, after the budget

The Trump administration reversed its policy to freeze grants and loans while officials evaluated whether spending met the president's priorities.

Honest, paywall-free news is rare. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size.

Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, promised to help American taxpayers while undergoing a contentious confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

A 19th-century presidential assassination was a signature event in helping the U.S. establish a meritocratic system for filling federal government jobs. Now, Donald Trump and Republican loyalists appear to be making good on promises in recent years to make radical changes to the civil service.

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)

Democrats harshly criticized President Donald Trump for a news conference Thursday in which he said that his predecessors and diversity were to blame for Wednesday night’s fatal collision of an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Several of Donald Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and key roles in his administration are facing confirmation hearings in the Senate today as the president continues to implement executive actions to transform the government.

Despite the boycott, Russell Vought's nomination advanced and moves to the Senate for an upcoming confirmation hearing.