Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: Sen. Merkley questions OMB chief Vought in Trump budget hearing
Posted
April 16, 2026
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638
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April 16, 2026
638
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6:16Now PlayingSen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., questioned Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a hearing Thursday held by the Senate Budget Committee.
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.
President Donald 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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