Summary
Senate Democrats boycotted a vote on Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget, calling him a “threat to democracy.”
Their opposition follows a short-lived freeze on federal grant funding, which they link to Vought’s budget-cutting ideology.
Despite the boycott, Republicans advanced his nomination with an 11-0 committee vote.
Democrats also criticized Trump’s recent executive orders targeting federal employees and DEI programs.
Vought, a key figure behind Project 2025, now faces a full Senate confirmation vote.
Why do they refuse to vote, rather than voting against? How does this work?
It’s symbolic. Just to get a headline. They were going to lose the vote anyway, so this at least gets the media to glance in their direction.
It doesn’t.