Trump’s OMB Deputy Pick Won’t Rule Out Undermining Congress’ Power of the Purse

Key Points:

• Hal Duncan, nominated by President Trump for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), faced tough questioning from Senate Democrats about OMB Director Russ Vought’s controversial impoundment of congressional appropriations during Trump’s second term, with Duncan refusing to commit to opposing such actions if confirmed.
• Duncan aligned with the Trump administration’s stance that presidents have constitutional authority to impound funds, despite multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) rulings finding such impoundments illegal under the Impoundment Control Act.
• When questioned about the administration’s use of "pocket rescissions" to rescind funds without congressional approval, Duncan declined to rule out future use of such fiscal tools, citing historical precedent despite legal challenges and Supreme Court decisions limiting this practice.
• On the contentious issue of the 2020 presidential election, Duncan avoided directly stating whether it was rigged, only acknowledging that Joe Biden was certified as the winner, while controversially claiming President Trump won the 2024 election, prompting criticism from senators about his evasiveness.
• Duncan is set to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and would replace Dan Bishop if confirmed, but his hearing raised concerns about his willingness to uphold congressional budgetary authority and reject election misinformation.