Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., accused Trump OMB Director Russell Vought of being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children due to budget cuts under the Trump administration. During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Merkley and other senators grilled Vought over a proposed rescissions package of budget cuts submitted by the Trump administration earlier this month.
The hearing revealed deep frustration among both Democratic and Republican senators over the administration’s decisions, with several protesters interrupting the proceedings by shouting. The protesters’ objections remained unclear, but the atmosphere at the hearing was tense, reflecting the gravity of the allegations. Merkley, in his confrontation with Vought, cited a Boston University School of Public Health study that claimed 246,000 children had died due to the various foreign aid programs cut by DOGE, the Trump administration’s Department of the Treasury.
Merkley accused the administration of unconstitutionally shutting down these programs in partnership with Elon Musk and the Secretary of State, expressing outrage over the impact on children’s lives. “How do you feel about being responsible for hundreds of thousands of children dying because of your sudden interruption in these key programs?” Merkley challenged, calling Vought’s response “both ignorant and callous.” Vought defended the cuts as necessary programmatic reviews, maintaining that the administration has the ability to adjust spending priorities when it takes office.
Other senators, including Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also confronted Vought, accusing the administration of trying to illegally maneuver around Congress to make its cuts, which she said undermine American interests abroad. Murray pointedly asked Vought to specify where in the world the administration planned to undermine American interests, to which Vought responded, “Of course not. We’ve been very clear in all the administration’s priorities that all of our commitments with regard to Jordan and Egypt are maintained.” Murray, however, cut in again, emphasizing the need for transparency, “I assume you’re unwilling to share which humanitarian crisis this administration plans to walk away from, which is what we would be voting on, and that is critical information.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also voiced frustration over the Trump administration’s DOGE cuts, taking particular issue with cuts to public broadcasting, which she argued plays an important role in emergency services in her state. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., similarly expressed concern over the cuts to foreign aid, stating that they represent opportunities to project American soft power. “Instead of creating efficiency, you’ve created vacuums for adversaries like China to fill,” McConnell said, warning that this could lead to potential conflicts and a loss of American influence.
Vought, in his defense, argued that many foreign aid programs use “benevolent-sounding titles” to hide “truly appalling activity” that is not in line with American interests. He maintained that the “entire federal government must be responsible with each taxpayer dollar that comes to Washington.” “The American people voted for change,” Vought said, “and President Trump stands ready to put our fiscal house back in order and put the American taxpayer first.”
The hearing underscored growing bipartisan concern over the Trump administration’s budget priorities and their potential humanitarian consequences. With the Senate poised to debate the rescissions package, the administration faces mounting pressure to justify its cuts and address the concerns of both parties. The debate over the budget’s impact on global aid programs and their humanitarian implications continues to dominate the legislative agenda, highlighting the complex interplay between fiscal responsibility and international obligations.