Russell Vought facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Russ Vought
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018
|
|
| 42nd & 44th Director of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| Assumed office February 7, 2025 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Dan Bishop (nominee) |
| Preceded by | Shalanda Young |
| In office January 2, 2019 – January 20, 2021 Acting: January 2, 2019 – July 22, 2020 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Derek Kan |
| Preceded by | Mick Mulvaney |
| Succeeded by | Shalanda Young |
| Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | |
|
Acting
|
|
| Assumed office February 7, 2025 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Scott Bessent (acting) |
| Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| In office March 14, 2018 – July 22, 2020 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Brian Deese |
| Succeeded by | Derek Kan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Russell Thurlow Vought
March 26, 1976 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Mary Vought
(div. 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wheaton College (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
Russell Thurlow Vought (born March 26, 1976) is an American political expert. He works in the government. He is currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He held this job before, from 2020 to 2021.
Mr. Vought started an organization called the Center for Renewing America in 2021. This group works to support certain ideas about America. He also plays a big part in Project 2025. This project aims to change how the United States government works. In 2024, he became a policy director for the Republican National Committee.
In November 2024, Donald Trump said he would ask Mr. Vought to be the OMB director again. The United States Senate approved him for the job on February 6, 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Russell Vought was born on March 26, 1976. His father was an electrician and a U.S. Marine. His mother was an elementary school teacher.
He went to Wheaton College. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. A BA is a four-year college degree. Later, he earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from George Washington University Law School. A JD is a law degree.
Before working in government, Mr. Vought worked for several groups. He worked for Heritage Action, which is a group that tries to influence laws. He also worked for the Republican Study Committee. This is a group of Republican members of Congress. He helped them with their policies and budgets.
First Trump Administration
Role at the Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) helps the President manage the government's money. It also helps create the President's budget plan.
Deputy OMB Director
In 2017, President Donald Trump chose Mr. Vought to be the Deputy Director of the OMB. The Senate approved him for this job in February 2018. The vote was very close.
During his approval process, there was a discussion about his religious beliefs. Some people wondered if his beliefs would affect his government role.
In 2019, Mr. Vought was one of several officials who did not appear before Congress. Congress had asked them to testify about a decision to stop aid to Ukraine. This decision led to an investigation of President Trump.
OMB Director
In January 2019, Mr. Vought became the acting OMB director. This happened when the previous director took on a new role. In March 2020, President Trump officially nominated him to be the OMB Director. The Senate approved him in July 2020.
In May 2020, Mr. Vought changed a long-standing practice at the OMB. He decided not to publish updated economic predictions. He said this was because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In September 2020, Mr. Vought sent a memo to government agencies. This memo told them to stop certain types of training. The memo said these trainings caused division among federal workers. It also said they spent too much taxpayer money.
2020 Election Transition
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election, his team said Mr. Vought was making the change of power difficult. They said OMB staff were not meeting with Biden's team. Usually, OMB staff help the new administration understand government programs and costs.
Mr. Vought said that OMB had provided money for the change. He also said there had been many meetings with Biden's team. He explained that OMB staff were still working on the current administration's plans.
After the First Trump Administration (2021–2025)
Center for Renewing America
In January 2021, Mr. Vought started a group called the Center for Renewing America. This group focuses on certain ideas about American society. It also has another group called American Restoration Action. These groups aim to support a view of America as "a nation under God."
In April 2021, The Washington Post checked a statement Mr. Vought made. He said only a small part of a big infrastructure plan would go to "real infrastructure" like roads. The newspaper found his statement was mostly incorrect.
In June 2021, his group released a guide. This guide was for parents. It helped them understand and talk about certain topics in schools.
The Center for Renewing America is part of Project 2025.
Project 2025
Mr. Vought plays a big role in Project 2025. This project is a set of ideas from the Heritage Foundation. It aims to change the U.S. federal government. It wants to give more power to the President. It also wants to replace some government workers with people who support the President's policies. The project also seeks to bring certain values into government and society.
In October 2024, a news group called ProPublica reported on Mr. Vought's plans. These plans include using military force against protesters if needed. They also involve reducing the power of agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His group wants to make big changes to the government.
Second Trump Administration
Nomination and Confirmation
In November 2024, President-elect Trump announced he would nominate Mr. Vought again. He would be the director of the OMB for Trump's second term. Mr. Vought spoke to Senate committees in January 2025. During these meetings, he did not promise to spend all the money Congress approved. The Senate approved his nomination on February 6, 2025. The vote was 53 to 47.
Tenure
The day after his approval, Mr. Vought began his new role. He also became the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Political and Religious Views
Mr. Vought graduated from Wheaton College, a Christian school. He describes himself as a Christian nationalist. He believes that Christian ideas should influence government and society. He supports the idea of a "separation between church and state" in institutions. However, he does not believe in separating Christianity from its influence on government.
Since 2022, Mr. Vought has supported "radical constitutionalism." He believes this is needed to fix what he calls a "post-Constitutional time." He thinks the government has been corrupted over the last century. He describes the federal government as "woke and weaponized." He wants to replace it with people who strongly follow the Constitution. Mr. Vought supports giving more power to the President. He has suggested using the military for law enforcement within the country. He also wants to bring back the President's ability to stop spending money approved by Congress. This practice was banned in 1974. He also proposes making big changes to the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI.
Personal Life
Mr. Vought was married to Mary Grace Vought. They have two daughters. They got divorced in August 2023.
Images for kids
-
Official portrait, 2018
-
Vought being sworn in as OMB Director in July 2020
See also
In Spanish: Russell Vought para niños
