Chairman Graham Questions OMB Director Nominee Vought

Chairman Graham Questions OMB Director Nominee Vought

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today questioned President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russ Vought.

This is the first hearing Graham has chaired in the 119^th Congress.

• GRAHAM: "What's the most important function of the federal government, in your view?"
• VOUGHT: "I believe it's to keep the American people safe and secure so they can enjoy their liberties and to protect their rights." https://youtu.be/XZU3CCtdmUQ?si=s2TsiqQXcztGsC5v&t=182

• GRAHAM: "Are you familiar with the amount of money we spend GDP-wise on defense? What is it right now?"
• VOUGHT: "I am aware…"
• GRAHAM: "It's like 3.1 percent, and it's going down to the mid-twos. Do you realize that's the only four times in American history we've had that small amount of money spent on our defense? Will you be open-minded to make sure that we can defend this nation by creating a bigger Navy?"
• VOUGHT: "Absolutely, Senator. It's a priority of the president, it was a priority at OMB in the first term to make sure that we establish maritime supremacy in this country, and it will be if confirmed." https://youtu.be/XZU3CCtdmUQ?si=x9qBzVK_-qJI7Zqj&t=192

• GRAHAM: "What would happen to the economy if the 2017 tax cuts - that were passed through reconciliation by the Republicans - expire and go away?"
• VOUGHT: "I think Americans would have a major tax increase on their hands that would lead to a lot less innovation, a lot less productivity and we would have a worsening economy that I would not want to predict how bad it would be."
• GRAHAM: "So the Treasury Secretary nominee said it would be catastrophic. Do you agree with that?"
• VOUGHT: "Yes, sir."
• GRAHAM: "… Is it like $4.5 trillion dollars of new taxes if all this goes away?"
• VOUGHT: "That's the static cost of it, yes, sir."
• GRAHAM: "…We don't want [the 2017 tax cuts] to go away, I guess [the Democrats] do." https://youtu.be/XZU3CCtdmUQ?si=NYAdnjV37dEmhMPu&t=8

• GRAHAM: "So when it comes to energy production, will you pledge to try to make it easier for America to soundly and safely extract the natural resources that we own so we don't have to buy oil and gas from people who hate our guts?"
• VOUGHT: "Yes, Senator."
• GRAHAM: "Okay. Do you believe that would make us safer or energy independent?"
• VOUGHT: "I do believe it's vital from a security standpoint and from the standpoint of Americans' pocketbooks to rely on cheap, American energy and not to squander that." https://youtu.be/XZU3CCtdmUQ?si=zyxnb495RCbPr3kU&t=72

Click here to watch Graham question Russ Vought

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