The stage is set for a government shutdown fight this fall.
And on Thursday, OMB Director Russell Vought added to the drama when he told reporters the spending process should be “less bipartisan” — an eyebrow-raising statement given the need for 60 Senate votes to fund the government.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune gently pushed back, saying Vought’s comment “runs contrary to what the math tells us around here.” He said the Senate will soon take up funding bills and that Republicans hope Democrats will be there.
But the minority is perturbed about the possibility Vought and the GOP will strip bipartisan spending decisions via rescissions.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump should fire Vought and demanded stronger GOP pushback: “Where are our Republican colleagues? Are they going to let this guy run rampant in one of the most powerful positions in government?”