He is perhaps the most powerful man in Washington at the moment, after Donald Trump.Â
Russell Vought, the right-wing ideologue who heads the Office of Management and Budget, is using the US government shutdown to deliver his brand of shock therapy to American bureaucracy.
kAm$9FE5@H?D FDF2==J C6DF=E :? 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 7656C2= H@C<6CD 36:?8 A=2465 @? E6>A@C2CJ F?A2:5 =62G6]Â k^Am
kAmqFE E9:D E:>6[ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 92D D2:5 >2DD 7:C:?8D 2C6 Q:>>:?6?E]Qk^Am
kAm%CF>A 92D E2AA65 '@F89E E@ E6== 9:> QH9:49 @7 E96 >2?J s6>@4C2E p86?4:6D]]] 96 C64@>>6?5D E@ 36 4FE]QÂ k^Am
kAmw6 6G6? A@DE65 @? 9:D %CFE9 $@4:2= A=2E7@C> 2? px\86?6C2E65 G:56@ 56A:4E:?8 E96 3F586E 49:67 2D E96 8C:> C62A6C H2=<:?8 E9C@F89 (2D9:?8E@?[ D4JE96 :? 92?5]k^Am
kAm'@F89E :D 7@==@H:?8 2 72C C:89E 8@G6C?2?46 3=F6AC:?E[ !C@;64E a_ad[ H9:49 96 96=A65 2FE9@C]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 9:D C66=64E:@? 42>A2:8?[ %CF>A 5:DE2?465 9:>D6=7 7C@> E96 F=EC2\4@?D6CG2E:G6 A@=:4J A=2?[ H9:49 6?G:D:@?D G2DE=J 6IA2?565 6I64FE:G6 4@?EC@= @G6C D92CA=J C65F465 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am
kAm}@H %CF>A :D C676CC:?8 E@ E96 ch\J62C\@=5 '@F89E 2D Q96 @7 !#~ytr% a_ad u2>6]QÂ k^Am
kAm{2H>2<6C #@D2 s6{2FC@[ E96 C2?<:?8 s6>@4C2E @? E96 4@>>:EE66 E92E 2==@42E6D 8@G6C?>6?E >@?6J E@ 7656C2= 286?4:6D[ 244FD6D '@F89E @7 92G:?8Â Q6?8:?66C65Q E96 D9FE5@H?]Â k^Am
kAmQw6 92D 366? D496>:?8[ 9@A:?8 2?5 A=2??:?8 7@C E9:D D:?46 96 H2D =2DE :? @77:46[ 3F:=5:?8 9:D A=2? E@ 5:D>2?E=6 6DD6?E:2= 8@G6C?>6?E 7F?4E:@?D H:E9 ?@ C682C5 7@C E96 H@C<:?8 4=2DD[ E96 >:55=6 4=2DD[ 2?5 GF=?6C23=6 p>6C:42?D H9@ 56A6?5 @? E96>[Q D96 D2:5 @? (65?6D52J[ 52J @?6 @7 E96 D9FE5@H?]Â k^Am
kAm$9FE5@H?D 2C6 3C@F89E 23@FE 3J =2H>2<6CDV 72:=FC6 E@ A2DD 2? 2??F2= 3F586E 3:== E92E 7F?5D E96 8@G6C?>6?E]Â k^Am
k9am\Â Vs:D>2?E=6 E96 3FC62F4C24JV \k^9am
kAmq@C? :? E96 ?@CE962DE6C? DE2E6 @7 r@??64E:4FE[ '@F89E 8C25F2E65 7C@> 2 D>2== 6G2?86=:42= r9C:DE:2? 4@==686 367@C6 62C?:?8 2 =2H 568C66 2?5 364@>:?8 2 DE2776C 7@C #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD[ E96? 2 =@33J:DE 7@C E96 4@?D6CG2E:G6 w6C:E286 u@F?52E:@?]Â k^Am
kAmw6 ;@:?65 E96 ~77:46 @7 |2?286>6?E 2?5 qF586E W~|qX 2?5 3642>6 :ED 5:C64E@C 5FC:?8 %CF>AVD 7:CDE E6C>]Â Â k^Am
kAm'@F89E DA6?E AC6D:56?E y@6 q:56?VD E6C> :? @77:46 A=2??:?8 7@C 2 7C6D9 4@?D6CG2E:G6 E2<6@G6C @G6C @7 8@G6C?>6?E 7C@> 9:D @H? E9:?< E2?<[ E96 r6?E6C 7@C #6?6H:?8 p>6C:42]Â k^Am
kAm%96 8@2=i :?DE:EFE:?8 677:4:6?4J :? H92E 96 D2H 2D 2 3=@2E65 8@G6C?>6?E]Â k^Am
kAm%CF>A Q92D E@ >@G6 6I64FE:G6=J 2D 72DE 2?5 2D 288C6DD:G6=J 2D A@DD:3=6[ H:E9 2 C25:42= 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= A6CDA64E:G6[ E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5:D>2?E=6 E92E 3FC62F4C24J[Q 96 E@=5 4@?D6CG2E:G6 A@=:E:42= 4@>>6?E2E@C %F4<6C r2C=D@? 27E6C %CF>AVD C66=64E:@? :? }@G6>36C a_ac]k^Am
kAmx? $6AE6>36C[ 96 42==65 E96 &$ 8@G6C?>6?E QE96 H@<6 2?5 H62A@?:K65 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 DE2E6Q @7 4:G:= D6CG2?ED H9@ C6D:DE E96 5:C64E:G6D @7 2? 6=64E65 AC6D:56?E]k^Am
k9am\ V%C2F>2V Â \k^9am
kAm'@F89E H2D DH:7E=J 4@?7:C>65 3J E96 $6?2E6 7@C 2 D64@?5 DE:?E 2D ~|q 5:C64E@C :? u63CF2CJ a_ad] qFE :E H2D E649 EJ4@@? t=@? |FD< H9@ H:6=565 E96 4@DE\4FEE:?8 492:?D2H :? E96 62C=J >@?E9D @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%92E C6A@CE65=J :CC:E2E65 '@F89E[ H9@ 5:D28C665 H:E9 A2CED @7 |FD<VD 2AAC@249[ D@FC46D E@=5 %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 ~|q 5:C64E@C H2D @? 3@2C5 7@C E96 23CFAE 5:D>2?E=:?8 @7 8@G6C?>6?E 286?4:6D]k^Am
kAmQ*6D[ x 42==65 7@C EC2F>2 H:E9:? 3FC62F4C24:6D] qFC62F4C24:6D 92E6 E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6[Q 96 D2:5 :? }@G6>36C]Â k^Am
kAmQxEVD BF:E6 D:>A=6i 2== 6I64FE:G6 A@H6C >FDE 36 G6DE65 :? E96 6I64FE:G6 3C2?49[Q 96 564=2C65]k^Am
kAmqFCJ:?8 7@C6:8? 2:5[ 6?5:?8 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 7@C AF3=:4 3C@2542DE:?8 2?5 C@==:?8 324< 5@K6?D 2?5 5@K6?D @7 C68F=2E:@?Di QxEVD 6I4:E:?8 E@ 36 :?G@=G65 :? E9:D[Q '@F89E C646?E=J D2:5]k^Am
kAmF36^6G^<D3^243k^Am
