>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
Democrats are already sounding the alarm. Vought’s involvement in “Project 2025”—a comprehensive conservative blueprint for transforming the federal government—has them howling. The plan calls for massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare, as well as the total dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security.
While Trump has distanced himself publicly from the most controversial sections of the manifesto, his appointment of Vought signals that those policy ideas may still find their way into practice.
Still, Trump’s choice is no surprise. Vought has been a key player in advancing the president’s agenda and is widely seen as the architect of fiscal discipline within the administration.
His mission at DOGE will be clear: continue Musk’s aggressive campaign to gut unnecessary government programs and enforce Trump’s February executive order directing federal agencies to rescind “unlawful rules.”
Another top priority? Reviving and enforcing Schedule F—a Trump-era directive that strips job protections from entrenched federal employees. The order was shelved under Biden but reissued in January, opening the door for a massive personnel shakeup across federal agencies.
In addition, Vought will push forward Trump’s $9.3 billion rescissions package, which aims to slash funds from agencies like the State Department, USAID, National Public Radio, and PBS. The move is sure to infuriate progressives but will be cheered by conservatives eager to see taxpayer money better allocated.
Even within Republican ranks, Vought’s no-nonsense fiscal approach is ruffling feathers.
He has taken a firm stance against ballooning military budgets—an unusual position for a Republican official and one that puts him at odds with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under Vought’s plan, increases in defense spending would be allowed only through budget reconciliation, not through standard annual appropriations.
That distinction has angered congressional Republicans, who say Hegseth previously promised them a full increase in military funding through the traditional budget process. Now, they worry that relying on a one-time reconciliation boost could shortchange national defense in the long term.
They’re pointing fingers at Vought, calling him the architect of the shortfall.
But Vought isn’t backing down. He’s made it clear that he won’t tolerate Democrat demands for “parity”—a scheme in which every dollar of increased military spending is matched with equal domestic spending.
Instead, Vought’s original budget would slash non-defense discretionary spending by $163 billion while adding roughly $120 billion in military spending through reconciliation—bypassing traditional budget fights and forcing Congress to act.
Vought has repeatedly argued that reconciliation is the cleaner, faster path to getting things done, and it’s a tool he’s ready to use to bulldoze through bureaucratic resistance.
As Trump gears up for what may be a historic second term, Vought’s ascension at DOGE could be a game-changer. With his eyes on spending cuts, bureaucratic reform, and draining what remains of the administrative swamp, the federal government may be in for its most dramatic overhaul yet.
