Project 2025 “Chief Architect” Russ Vought Backs Trump’s Plans to Rip Away Health Care While Giving Tax Handouts to Billionaires Arrow

In response to Russ Vought making it clear he backs Donald Trump's toxic billionaire agenda during his Senate hearing today, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

"Donald Trump spent his first days in office trying to rip away access to health care while laying the groundwork for another tax handout for billionaires - and his pick for OMB Director Russ Vought made it clear today he'll help Trump go even further to enact his extreme Project 2025 agenda. While Trump and Vought go to bat for ultra-wealthy special interests, Democrats will keep fighting for working families and holding Trump accountable for his toxic Project 2025 blueprint."

Russ Vought owns his authorship of Donald Trump's extreme and unpopular Project 2025's agenda - especially its chapter on the executive branch he's trying to serve in.

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan: "Mr. Vought you authored chapter two of Project 2025 titled 'Executive Office of the President of the United States,' correct?"

Vought: "Yes, sir."

Vought defended giving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in tax handouts to ultra-wealthy billionaires while leaving hardworking Americans out in the cold.

Sen. Jeff Merkley: "Now according to the Treasury Department analysis produced this month, the Trump tax giveaways would give an average tax cut of $314,000 to the richest Americans, the top 0.1%, and $6 annually to the average member of the bottom 10%. A cup of coffee for those trying to get on their feet in the course of a year and $300,000 in additional income for the richest Americans. Isn't this kind of ass backwards?"

Vought: *Defends tax handout*

Sen. Merkley: "So you're very comfortable with a cup of coffee per year for the bottom 10% while you give $300,000 to the richest Americans according to the Treasury Department analysis?"

Vought: "Look, there are people at the higher end who are in charge of small businesses that are taking great risks to innovate and hire additional people that are not in their tax bracket."

Vought refused to answer for his plan to gut Medicaid, SNAP, Pell Grants, rental assistance, and other critical programs to support working families.

Sen. Tim Kaine: "You were the president of the Center for Renewing America and the think tank produced a 2023 budget proposal calling a commitment to end woke and weaponized government. Do you remember that?"

Vought: "Yes, Senator."

Sen. Kaine: "And that's the correct title?"

Vought: "Yes, Senator."

Sen. Kaine: "It's 104 pages of details to end woke and weaponized government, and it proposes deep cuts to the SNAP program. Is providing nutrition assistance to low income kids woke and weaponized?"

Vought: *Dodges*

Sen. Kaine: "I want to know what's woke and weaponized about providing food assistance to low income kids?"

Vought: *Dodges again*

Sen. Kaine: "You proposed deep cuts to Pell Grants. Is helping kids pay for college and helping their families, is that woke and weaponized?"

Vought: *Dodges again*

Sen. Kaine: "You proposed deep cuts to Medicaid for millions of low income families. Why is that woke and weaponized? You proposed undermining health insurance. Why is that woke and weaponized? Eliminating tenant-based rental assistance. Why is that woke and weaponized? Eliminating the low income housing energy assistance program. This was all in your document about ending woke and weaponized government."

Sen. Bernie Sanders: "Will you tell the president that it is immoral, that it is wrong, to cut Medicaid, cut health care for low income Americans, for children and for the elderly, and give tax breaks to the very richest people in our society? Is that something we can count on you to do?"

Vought: *Dodges*

Vought confirmed his anti-choice extremism, and suggested that Trump (like himself) also opposes exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

Sen. Patty Murray: "You were a lead author of the anti-abortion Project 2025. You were also caught just a few months ago saying that when it comes to abortion you 'want to get to abolition.' Now everyone should understand that abortion abolition means zero abortions under any circumstance whatsoever. So Mr. Vought, you have said that you don't believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or life of the mother. Is that your position?"

Vought: "Senator, my views are not important. I am here on behalf of the president as his nominee to restore fiscal accountability -"

Sen. Murray: "I am asking you a question under oath, sir, because you want to be director of an office that will advise the president and we have a right to know your views. Will you answer the question?"

Vought: "I will, Senator, because it's consistent with the views that the president ran on repeatedly, made his views very clear on abortion, with regard in the last election -"

Sen. Murray: "Even in the case of rape, incest, life of the mother?"

Vought: "That is his view."

Vought would not commit to following the law, choosing to hold Trump's opinions over the Constitution and court of law.

Sen. Patty Murray: "So I want to ask you today, will you, if confirmed, as director faithfully follow the law, the Impoundment Control Act, yes or no?"

Vought: "… The President ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. I agree with that."

…

Sen. Murray: "Has the impoundment law ever been said to be unconstitutional by a court of law?"

Vought: "Not to my knowledge."

Sen. Murray: "No, it has not. So it is the law of the land. … So will you follow that law if you are confirmed to this office?"

Vought: *Doesn't answer*

…

Sen. Murray: "If the rule of the law in a state is that it's a 15 mile an hour speed limit, you can't just say, well, I think that's irresponsible, and I'm gonna challenge it so therefore I don't have to follow it. The impoundment law is the law. Will you follow it or not? You can say that we're gonna look at it and might challenge it in court, but it is the law today. Will you follow that law?"

Vought: *Doesn't answer*

Sen. Murray: "You're telling me why you don't agree with the law, but the law is the law. Will you follow the law?"

Vought: *Doesn't answer for a fourth time*

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