1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

Russell Vought's nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget poses grave risks to our democracy, civil rights, and the well-being of women, LGBTQI+ individuals, immigrants, and working families. As an architect of the extreme and unpopular "Project 2025" agenda, Vought has advocated for policies that would severely undermine access to essential healthcare like abortion and gender-affirming care, gut civil rights protections, and slash funding for vital social safety net programs. Vought's alarming views extend beyond these harmful policy proposals. He endorses an anti-democratic "post-constitutional" vision that would concentrate vast power in the hands of the president, defying the system of checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution. His support for the illegal practice of "impoundment" would enable the executive branch to unilaterally withhold funds appropriated by Congress, subverting the legislative branch's constitutional authority over federal spending. Furthermore, Vought's hostility towards the federal workforce poses a direct threat to the effective functioning of our government. His past efforts to undermine career civil servants and replace them with partisan loyalists demonstrate a disturbing disregard for the nonpartisan expertise critical to sound policymaking and governing. Confirming Vought as OMB Director would jeopardize fundamental rights, undermine democratic norms, and erode vital federal programs and institutions. His extreme ideology is profoundly at odds with our nation's values of equality, liberty, and democratic governance. The Senate must reject this nomination to uphold its constitutional duties and protect the well-being of all Americans.