Russell Vought Proposes Impoundment to Bypass Congress on Budget Cuts
OMB Director Russell Vought suggests using executive tools to implement $175 billion in federal workforce cuts without full congressional approval.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought stated that the Trump administration may use executive tools to implement federal workforce cuts without seeking full congressional approval. These reductions, spearheaded by Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency, total an estimated $175 billion in cuts to programs and funding already approved by Congress.
Vought indicated the administration intends to submit only $9.4 billion to Congress for sign-off this week, focusing primarily on cuts to USAID and public broadcasting. To achieve the remaining reductions, Vought suggested the use of impoundment, the practice of withholding funds allocated by Congress, despite legal restrictions on the practice since the 1970s.
While Vought denied that the administration is breaking the law, he acknowledged that they are "not in love with the law." Additionally, Vought defended the One Big Beautiful Bill Act against Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation could increase the U.S. deficit by $3.8 trillion, arguing that the bill does not hurt the debt.
