Democratic senators got some support from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Rand Paul as they quizzed Russ Vought, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for budget director, about lawmakers’ “power of the purse.”
Paul, R-Ky., said he was “sympathetic” to Democrats’ arguments about the limited budgeting authority available to presidents under Article I of the Constitution. And Paul said while he supports Vought’s nomination, “unless the new administration has the courage to tackle entitlement reform, the national debt will continue to explode.”
During Vought’s confirmation hearing Wednesday, Democrats said Trump in his first term violated the 1974 budget law, which restricts the ability of presidents to “impound,” or not spend, funds appropriated by Congress.
