Folks, earlier today, President Trump’s nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, appeared before the Senate Budget Committee for his nomination hearing.

This was a critical hearing, and I was glad to have the opportunity to ask Vought questions — but I was not reassured by what I heard in response. 

(You can watch the video of our back and forth here.)

Vought has made some deeply disturbing comments about the federal workforce. He got a lot of attention for a speech when he said, “We want bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” 

This directly refers to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who call Virginia home, so I pressed Vought on it. 

Look — I've heard about a million speeches in Congress about wanting to cut the budget, wanting to reduce federal spending, wanting to deal with the deficit. But I had never before heard anybody give a gleeful speech about traumatizing the federal workforce. 

Think about Abraham Lincoln for just a minute. When he spoke to a divided nation, he said, “with malice towards none and charity towards all.” What he decidedly did NOT say was, “we want you to be traumatized.” 

Public servants ought to be unifiers and bridge builders — not gleefully wishing trauma on people trying to serve their fellow Americans.

I didn’t get much out of him on that subject, so I tried asking Vought to explain why he supports cuts to Pell Grants, food stamps, Medicaid, Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, and the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program — part of his think tank’s proposed push to, as they say, “end woke and weaponized government.”

Is providing nutrition assistance to low-income kids woke and weaponized?

Is helping kids pay for college woke and weaponized?

Following a theme, Vought refused to answer or explain. He didn’t even attempt to defend his comments or proposals, and I can see why. 

You want to first traumatize federal employees, then you want to take programs that help people who are struggling and cut them because they’re “woke and weaponized”... that’s some tough stuff to defend.

When I reflect on the comments of Vought (and those of many of his fellow Trump Administration nominees), I consider New Testament Luke 6:45: ‘From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.’

Or in other words, when someone tells you who they are, believe them.

I said on Monday that doing my constitutionally-mandated duty as a Senator will require at times fighting against this Administration. These nomination hearings are a prime example of moments when we must push back and demand more. 

Thanks for reading and staying in touch as we begin this new chapter. I’ll continue to update you on the latest from the U.S. Senate.

-Tim Kaine

P.S. Last week, I also questioned Pete Hegseth — President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense — during his nomination hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee about his deeply concerning history of alleged sexual harassment and assault and on-the-job intoxication. You can see that video here.

P.P.S. One last thing: While reading these updates and staying engaged in this work is certainly enough, if you’re looking for another way to support public servants who are unifiers and bridge builders, consider making a contribution to the Common Ground PAC — my organization that works to elect leaders who are committed to working together, not tearing us apart.

Paid for by Kaine for Virginia

1490-5A Quarterpath Road #272

Williamsburg, VA 23185

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