Senate backs Vought for White House budget role despite Democratic opposition.
Image: JEMAL COUNTESS / AFP
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed Russell Vought as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the entity at the centre of a contentious effort to freeze federal funding for aid programs.
He was approved by a vote of 53-47 over strong opposition from Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who termed him "one of the most fringe and hard-right individuals the Senate has seen in a very long time".
Vought held the same position during President Donald Trump's first administration, during which he issued a memo barring the use of taxpayer funds for anti-racism training - a move the US president has doubled down on during his second term.
Vought will take office again amid a nationwide uproar over an OMB order issued last week that halted trillions of dollars in federal loans, grants and other assistance.
OMB subsequently issued a terse notification saying the freezing of aid order had been "rescinded", but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced soon afterward that it remained in place - and only the memo from the budget office was taken back.
A US district judge blocked the spending freeze last week, then extended that measure on Monday, saying plaintiffs who brought the case had shown they would suffer "irreparable harm" if it takes effect.
Democrats have accused Trump of constitutional overreach by seeking to stop government spending already approved by Congress, which has authority over the US budget.
AFP