Career Timeline of Russell Vought: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Russell Vought, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Russell Vought is an American political advisor. He has served in several high-ranking positions, including as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget since 2025, and acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau beginning in February 2025. He also briefly served as the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. Prior to these roles, Vought was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2020 to 2021, and served as its deputy director and acting director from 2018 to 2020.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1999: Started Working for Senator Phil Gramm

In 1999, Russell Vought began working for Texas senator Phil Gramm, handling letters from Gramm's constituents.

2001: Promotion as Legislative Assistant

By 2001, Russell Vought had started working at a B. Dalton bookstore and taking night classes at the George Washington University Law School. That year, Gramm offered Vought a promotion as legislative assistant.

December 2008: Named Policy Director

In December 2008, Indiana representative Mike Pence named Russell Vought as the House Republican Conference's policy director.

March 2010: Passage of the Affordable Care Act

Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, Michael Needham and Vought established Heritage Action for America.

March 2010: Resigned After Passage of Affordable Care Act

In March 2010, Russell Vought resigned following the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

2011: Vought Urges Republicans to Oppose Obama's Policies

In 2011, Russell Vought argued that Republicans in the House of Representatives should push the party "as far to the right as is possible and flat out oppose it when necessary" regarding Barack Obama's policies.

2013: Led effort to defund Affordable Care Act

In 2013, Russell Vought led an effort to encourage Republicans to defund the Affordable Care Act, a protest that led to a federal government shutdown.

2016: Offered Position as Senior Advisor

After Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election, Russell Vought was offered a position as a senior advisor in the Office of Management and Budget.

March 2017: Executive Order

In March 2017, Trump signed an executive order seeking to reorganize the federal government. The order was executed by Vought.

April 2017: Nominated for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget

In April 2017, Donald Trump nominated Russell Vought for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

February 2018: Confirmed as Deputy Director of the OMB

In February 2018, Russell Vought was confirmed as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tie-breaking vote.

February 28, 2018: Confirmed as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget

On February 28, 2018, Russell Vought was confirmed as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget in a 50–49 vote. Vice president Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote.

December 2018: Devised Strategy to Declare National Emergency

In December 2018, Russell Vought and Mark Paoletta devised a strategy to declare a national emergency at the border.

2018: First Tenure as Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Russell Vought's first tenure as the director of the Office of Management and Budget occurred amid the 2018–2019 federal government shutdown.

January 2019: Began Tenure as Acting Director of OMB

Russell Vought became the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget before January 2019.

2019: Vought Defends Ideology on War Room Podcast

In 2019, Russell Vought defended his ideology as "radical constitutionalism" on Steve Bannon's podcast, War Room, a concept that includes the unitary executive theory.

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2019: First Tenure as Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Russell Vought's first tenure as the director of the Office of Management and Budget occurred amid the 2018–2019 federal government shutdown.

February 2020: Appeared Before House Committee on the Budget

Russell Vought appeared before the House Committee on the Budget in February 2020.

March 2020: Trump ousts Mulvaney, Vought lobbies for position

In March 2020, Donald Trump ousted Mick Mulvaney as his chief of staff and the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Russell Vought, who had been lobbying for the position for months, was named as Mulvaney's successor.

March 2020: Ousted Mulvaney

In March 2020, Trump ousted Mulvaney as his White House chief of staff and as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

December 2020: Trump appoints Vought to Naval Academy board

In December 2020, Donald Trump appointed Russell Vought to the United States Naval Academy's board of visitors.

2020: Founded Center for Renewing America

After Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election, Russell Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank.

April 2021: Vought Seeks Ban on Earmarks

In April 2021, Russell Vought sought a ban on earmarks.

September 2021: Biden administration requests Vought's resignation

In September 2021, the Biden administration requested that Vought resign from the United States Naval Academy's board of visitors. Vought declined, stating he had been appointed to a three-year term.

February 2022: Vought Criticizes Foreign Interventions After Ukraine War

Following the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war in February 2022, Russell Vought criticized neoconservatives and advocated for the return of soldiers from Europe.

2022: Vought Criticizes McCarthy's Early Campaign for Speaker

After the 2022 House of Representatives elections, Vought criticized Kevin McCarthy for initiating an early campaign for speaker of the House.

January 2023: Vought Seeks New Leadership

In January 2023, Members of the Freedom Caucus, including Chip Roy and Matt Gaetz, concurred with Vought in seeking new leadership.

October 2023: Involved in Removal of Kevin McCarthy

In October 2023, Russell Vought was involved in the effort to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representatives, which resulted in McCarthy's removal.

November 2023: Vought Involved in Political Appointments of Lawyers

As early as November 2023, Vought was involved in the political appointments of lawyers, in the event of Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election.

2023: Vought's Stance on Federal Agencies and Workers

In 2023, Russell Vought stated his intention to shut down agencies and inflict "traumatic effects" on federal workers. He also expressed criticism towards the independence of agencies like the Federal Reserve and the Department of Justice to The New York Times that year.

2023: Vought influences Republican budget proposal and advises on debt-ceiling strategy

In 2023, Russell Vought was influential in the Republican budget proposal, advocating for significant cuts to various departments. He also advised Republicans on their strategy during the 2023 debt-ceiling crisis, with The Washington Post describing him as a central voice in the discussions.

February 2024: Vought Considered for White House Chief of Staff

As early as February 2024, Vought was widely believed to be a potential White House chief of staff in Donald Trump's prospective second term.

July 2024: Vought Plans to Take Control of Bureaucracies

In July 2024, during a privately meeting secretly recorded, Russell Vought stated that he spent much of his time "working on the plans of what's necessary to take control of these bureaucracies", including developing arguments against agency independence.

November 2024: Named Director of the Office of Management and Budget

In November 2024, Donald Trump named Russell Vought as his director of the Office of Management and Budget.

January 2025: Vought Questions Constitutionality of Budget Act

In January 2025, Vought told the Senate Committee on the Budget that he believed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act was unconstitutional.

February 7, 2025: Vought Named Acting Director of CFPB

On February 7, 2025, one day after his confirmation as director of the Office of Management and Budget, Vought was named as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

February 2025: Vought Supports Cuts to Civil Service

After his confirmation in February 2025, Vought supported an executive order signed by Trump instituting large scale cuts to the United States federal civil service.

February 2025: Named Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

In February 2025, Russell Vought was named acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

February 2025: Confirmed by Senate

In February 2025, the Senate voted to confirm Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. That month, he was named as the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

August 29, 2025: Vought Appointed Acting Administrator of USAID

On August 29, 2025, Vought succeeded Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

November 2025: End of Tenure as Acting Administrator of USAID

In November 2025, Russell Vought's tenure as the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development came to an end.

November 2025: Vought Poses Legal Argument Against CFPB Funding

In November 2025, Vought argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding—which originates from the Federal Reserve—is illegal.

2025: Led Project 2025

In 2025, Russell Vought led the transition project of Project 2025, a political initiative to institute right-wing policies within the federal government.