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White House Budget Director Testifies on $1.5 Trillion Defense Proposal and Domestic Cuts

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White House Budget Director Testifies on $1.5 Trillion Defense Proposal

Russell Vought faced the House Budget Committee on Wednesday over President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget, which calls for a massive defense increase funded by cuts to domestic programs.

The hearing was marked by protester interruptions and sharp exchanges with Democratic lawmakers.

Budget Overview

The proposed budget requests $1.5 trillion for defense — a 44% increase ($442 billion) over current funding levels.

The plan offsets this increase through reductions to several domestic programs, including:

  • Medicaid
  • Housing assistance
  • Childcare
  • The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which the budget proposes to eliminate entirely

Vought stated the budget "will ensure that the United States continues to maintain the world’s most powerful and capable military."

Key Committee Exchanges

Comments on Federal Programs

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) questioned Vought about President Trump's reported comments at a private White House Easter lunch: "We're fighting wars. We can't take care of day care," and suggesting Medicaid and Medicare should be managed by states.

Vought responded that the administration had not taken steps to turn Medicare over to states and said, "The president doesn't want to do that." When Boyle noted Trump's comments included Medicaid, Medicare, and childcare, Vought said Trump was "talking about fraud" in those programs.

War Costs and Domestic Spending

Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) asked whether $350 billion for the ongoing U.S.-Iran war helped reduce costs for Americans. Vought replied that childcare is "fully funded" in the budget.

WIC Program Funding

Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) challenged that claim, citing page 164 of the budget document: the fruit and vegetable benefit for breastfeeding mothers under WIC would be cut from $52 to $13 per month.

Vought stated, "We fully fund the WIC program." McGarvey responded, "No, you don't. It's right here."

Health Coverage Estimates

Boyle asked Vought if he could maintain that 15 to 17 million Americans who lost health care coverage under the "One Big Beautiful Bill" were either in the country illegally or defrauding the system.

Vought replied, "I didn't say all of them are illegal," and added there is "also the benefit of people returning to the workforce."

Department of Defense Audits

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) noted the Department of Defense has failed eight consecutive audits and remains the only federal agency that has never passed one. She stated, "There is over $10 billion in confirmed fraud within the Department of Defense."

Background and Context

  • The national debt is near $39 trillion.
  • The Congressional Budget Office has stated the "One Big Beautiful Bill" adds more to the deficit than any single piece of legislation in American history. The CBO and Kaiser Family Foundation estimate the bill stripped health care coverage from 15 to 17 million Americans.
  • According to Department of Labor data, energy prices rose nearly 11% in the previous month, with gasoline up more than 21% and home energy costs up more than 30%.
  • The University of Michigan's consumer confidence survey recorded a preliminary April reading of 47.6 — a 10.7% drop from March, and the lowest level in the survey's 74-year history.

Closing Remarks

Vought concluded his opening remarks by stating it is "the end of fiscal futility."