President Donald Trump’s top budget official is expected to take the reins at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following Elon Musk’s departure.
Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will assume a leading role in the agency, handling key responsibilities such as working with Congress to reclaim federal funds, restructuring civil service roles, and pushing forward his 2025 budget proposal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Vought has already served as Musk’s quieter partner in rolling out sweeping cuts to federal operations. He’s publicly praised their shared mission of slashing regulations, echoing Trump’s promise to eliminate 10 federal rules for every new one enacted.
Controversial Appointment
Vought’s expected promotion is likely to spark backlash from Democrats. He played a central role in crafting Project 2025, a hardline conservative policy blueprint that critics say outlines Trump’s goals for a second term.
The document called for deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare, as well as dismantling the Department of Homeland Security. Though Trump later distanced himself from the plan, many on the left condemned it during the election cycle.
Despite the controversy, Trump has made Vought his top fiscal officer and appears poised to rely on him to continue Musk’s aggressive downsizing of the federal government—an effort that has already prompted mass protests and agency closures.
Aggressive Deregulation and Schedule F
In the coming months, DOGE is expected to double down on deregulation, in line with a February executive order directing agencies to revoke “unlawful” rules.
Vought is also expected to push for reinstating Schedule F, a Trump-era order that stripped civil service protections from thousands of senior federal employees. The Biden administration reversed the rule, but Trump reinstated it after returning to office in January.
Budget Battles and Pushback from Republicans
Vought will also lead efforts to persuade Congress to approve Trump’s proposed $9.3 billion in budget rescissions—a package that would pull funding from the State Department, USAID, NPR, and PBS.
But Vought’s cost-cutting has raised concerns even within the Republican Party. His attempt to hold back increases in military spending has put him at odds with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Under Vought’s plan, the only path to increasing the defense budget would be through the reconciliation process—a limited-use method that bypasses the standard budget procedure—rather than in the regular annual budget. That approach would essentially freeze defense spending unless Congress passes targeted legislation.
Many GOP lawmakers believed Hegseth had assured them that defense spending would grow in the next budget. Now, they’re frustrated with what they see as a bait-and-switch and blame Vought for the policy shift, according to the Journal.
Avoiding “Spending Parity”
Vought has also made it clear that he opposes the Democratic idea of “spending parity”—where every dollar increase in military spending is matched by a similar hike in domestic funding.
His budget proposal includes a massive $163 billion cut to non-defense discretionary spending while proposing to add $120 billion through the reconciliation process to advance legislation aligned with Trump’s agenda.
In short, Vought’s budget strategy is designed to reshape federal priorities by slashing domestic spending and using procedural tools to limit Congressional opposition.
