Furious over “pocket rescissions” and the White House impounding billions of dollars in congressionally approved funding, House Democrats are taking a direct shot at OMB Director Russ Vought.
House Appropriations Democrats will offer an amendment during the FY2026 Financial Services and General Government markup this morning that seeks to rein in Vought’s power. The amendment would create an inspector general for OMB to subject the agency to independent oversight.
The amendment won’t become law, yet it shows how upset House Democrats are with Vought, who is spearheading the Trump administration’s effort to seize control of the power of the purse from what they see as a wasteful and profligate Congress.
“At every turn Russ Vought has fought to centralize power for himself, steal enacted funding from other cabinet secretaries, and ultimately to keep promised investments from American taxpayers,” House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said.
“[OMB] plays a central role in shaping federal budgets and regulatory policy, yet it lacks a dedicated watchdog. It is not subject to the same independent oversight that applies to the rest of government — including agencies with far narrower missions and far less influence.”
House Democratic aides note that Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and some GOP appropriators had previously supported a proposal calling for an OMB IG during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Democrats also plan to offer amendments to restore IRS funding and the IRS Free File program.
The FSGG bill is one of the few contentious appropriations markups House lawmakers have left on their agenda. The FY2026 Labor-HHS spending bill is also expected to go to the full committee soon, and that will be a bruising battle as well.
House Republicans approved steep cuts to health, labor and education agencies on Tuesday night during a party-line vote in the Labor-HHS subcommittee. The bill is the largest non-defense spending legislation. House GOP appropriators – in line with the White House’s view – would cut spending by nearly $24 billion from FY2025, a huge reduction.
House Republicans got rid of programs completely. The bill would wipe out CDC programs that prevent HIV/AIDs, eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and block funding for Planned Parenthood health centers. AmeriCorps, the federal national service agency, would be renamed the “America First Corps,” and Pell Grants would be renamed to “Trump Grants.”
