Happy New Year 2025

Tag: OMB

  • Senate Democrats speak all night against Trump OMB nominee, delaying confirmation vote

    Senate Democrats speak all night against Trump OMB nominee, delaying confirmation vote

    The U.S. Senate stayed in session all night as Democrats delayed a vote on confirming Russell Vought to serve as Office of Management and Budget Director, a position he previously held during part of President Donald Trump’s first term in office.

    In a 53-47 party-line vote on Wednesday, all 53 Republicans invoked cloture on the nomination, while all 45 Democrats, and the two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats, voted against the move.

    While Democrats cannot stop the vote from eventually taking place, they are using all of the 30 hours available before the inevitable vote on Trump’s nominee.

    SENATE TEES UP TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

    President Donald Trump’s nominee for Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is sworn in during the Senate Banking Committee nomination hearing in the Dirksen Senate Building on Jan. 22, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

    “I just came off the floor after speaking for an hour,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., noted in a tweet on Wednesday. “I refuse to let Republicans confirm Russ Vought the easy way, so we’re holding the floor through the night for 30 straight hours. Vought has shown he’ll ignore the law & constitution. I’ll be voting NO tomorrow.”

    GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma has been pointing out that Senate Republicans will vote to confirm Vought on Thursday evening.

    “Once again, OMB nominee Russell Vought will be confirmed at 7pm ET tomorrow. @SenateGOP has the votes. Enjoy your speeches,” he tweeted on Wednesday in response to a post in which Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., spoke about the Democrats’ plan.

    ‘ULTRA-RIGHT’: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FACES FIRE FROM DEM SENATORS

    Sen. Chuck Schumer and others

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., with Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., speaks during the We Choose To Fight: Nobody Elected Elon rally at the U.S. Department Of The Treasury on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C.  (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn))

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Vought a “horrible, dangerous man,” during remarks at a rally on Tuesday.

    Trump announced Vought as his pick for OMB last year.

    “He did an excellent job serving in this role in my First Term – We cut four Regulations for every new Regulation, and it was a Great Success!” he noted in a post on Truth social at the time. 

    GOP-LED SENATE CONFIRMING PRESIDENT’S NOMINEES AT FASTER PACE THAN BIDEN ADMIN, FIRST TRUMP TERM

    President Donald Trump and acting OMB Director Russell Vought in 2019

    President Donald Trump listens while acting OMB Director Russell Vought speaks during an executive order signing regarding federal regulations in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Oct. 9, 2019, in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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    “Russ has spent many years working in Public Policy in Washington, D.C., and is an aggressive cost cutter and deregulator who will help us implement our America First Agenda across all Agencies. Russ knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government, and he will help us return Self Governance to the People,” Trump declared.

    Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

  • White House still committed to freezing ‘woke’ funds despite rescinding OMB memo

    White House still committed to freezing ‘woke’ funds despite rescinding OMB memo

    The White House remains committed to freezing federal grants and loans aimed at “woke” programs, Fox News has learned, despite the administration’s move to rescind the original Office of Management and Budget memo — effectively ending the legal battle and any “confusion” for recipients. 

    A federal judge on Tuesday paused the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo, which aimed to freeze funding to various federal programs.

    ‘ANSWERED THIS QUESTION FOUR TIMES’: LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

    On Wednesday, the Trump administration rescinded the original memo. 

    “In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Wednesday. “The Executive Orders issued by the President on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments.” 

    Leavitt told Fox News that rescinding the memo “should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending.” 

    “In the coming weeks and months, more executive action will continue to end the egregious waste of federal funding,” Leavitt said. 

    The memo, sent to federal agencies on Monday, issued a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. 

    “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital, reads. 

    The pause was set to take effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday.

    Democrats had criticized the Trump administration’s freeze of federal funds, arguing that President Trump is circumventing Congress and withholding congressionally appropriated funds, violating the Impoundment Control Act. 

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Jan. 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. At 27 years old, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMIN’S TEMPORARY FEDERAL GRANTS, LOANS FREEZE

    U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan for the District of Columbia, appointed by former President Joe Biden, imposed an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon, pausing the Trump administration’s action.

    The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.

    The White House stressed that despite the memo being rescinded, if money coming out of federal agencies is at odds with the president’s executive orders, for example, funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, those funds will still be frozen. 

    But programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted under the pause, according to Leavitt. 

    Leavitt, during the White House press briefing on Tuesday, described the pause as “temporary,” and noted that the Trump administration has executed other freezes throughout the government, including a regulatory and hiring pause. 

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    “It’s incumbent upon this administration to make sure, again, that every penny is being accounted for honestly,” Leavitt said. 

    Additionally, Leavitt said that Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency that aims to eliminate government spending and waste identified $37 million that was about to go to the World Health Organization, along with $50 million to “fund condoms in Gaza.” 

    “That is a preposterous waste of money,” Leavitt said. 

    Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.