[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Russell Vought

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I have joined my colleagues on the floor 
today. We have held the floor all night speaking out against the 
nomination of Russell Vought to lead the OMB, the most powerful Federal 
Agency you have never heard of, because it has the power to suspend 
payments, to direct funding, to cut things off, or to make funding 
flow. Russell Vought has a plan, it is called Project 2025, and it laid 
out how if President Trump were reelected--although he disavowed it on 
the campaign trail, he is implementing it now as President--he would 
issue Executive order after Executive order to slash Federal funding 
and shut down Federal programs.
  I have spoken about how this is impacting Federal aid all over the 
world, foreign assistance, and how that is making us less safe and less 
secure; how those who cheer are the Chinese and Russians, the human 
traffickers and the drug cartels; and I have read from e-mails, calls, 
letters that I have gotten in my offices in Delaware and here in 
Washington, the alarm, the embarrassment, the concern of folks being 
pushed out of the Federal workforce and whose partners and programs are 
being shut down.
  We will be less safe. We will be less strong. We will be less the 
America that we all promise we will work hard to be if Russell Vought 
is confirmed to lead the OMB.
  I wouldn't trust this man to run a Wawa or a sports league or to run 
a 5K, and we are voting to empower him to run the most important and 
powerful Federal Agency you have never heard of but that will impact 
your life.
  I will vote no, and so should all my colleagues.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The majority whip.