Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: Sen. Merkley makes opening statement in hearing with Trump budget director Vought
Posted
April 16, 2026
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April 16, 2026
1,569
77
4.91%
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12:06Now PlayingSen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, made an opening statement Thursday in a hearing with Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, on President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request.
Vought, a key figure in the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce, also defended the president's budget request in a House hearing Wednesday.
Trump's funding wish list for fiscal year 2027 includes a staggering bump for defense spending — a nearly 50% increase to $1.5 trillion — to build his "dream military."
The president's budget request is not final, but it does signal the Trump administration's priorities for the coming fiscal year. Though Trump has tried to exert more authority over spending in his second term, it's up to both chambers to revise and approve the final budget in the coming months.
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