Blab News
Hal Duncan to Testify Before Senate Committees as Trump Administration Seeks New OMB Deputy Director
Hal Duncan, a former legislative aide to Republican fiscal hawks Pat Toomey and Chip Roy, will testify before the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week as part of the confirmation process for the position of deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The role is central to President Donald Trump’s agenda to cut federal spending.
According to the Senate Budget Committee’s schedule, Duncan will appear before the committee to answer questions about his experience and his plans for the OMB. The OMB, the largest office in the Executive Office of the President, is responsible for preparing the federal budget and overseeing the implementation of the president’s policy priorities across the executive branch. The deputy director reports directly to the OMB director, who is currently Russell Vought.
Vought, who has served as OMB director twice and as deputy director in previous administrations, was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025. He has been a key figure in the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and to pursue aggressive spending cuts.
Duncan’s background includes work in the legislative affairs office of the OMB, where he helped shape budget proposals for the Trump administration. Prior to that, he served as a staffer for Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a former Republican senator known for his fiscal conservatism, and later for Representative Chip Roy of Texas, who has been a vocal advocate for limited government spending.
The confirmation hearing has attracted attention from both sides of the aisle. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s fiscal policies, called Duncan a “conspiracy theorist” during the hearing. Duncan, in contrast, maintained a calm demeanor and appeared to smile while answering questions.
The OMB’s deputy director position has become a focal point of the Trump administration’s broader budget strategy. The administration has pursued a series of proposals to cut discretionary spending, reduce entitlement program costs, and streamline federal agencies. The deputy director is expected to play a key role in implementing these cuts and in coordinating with other agencies to ensure compliance with the president’s budgetary goals.
The hearing also comes amid ongoing political developments. Duncan has been described as a “little‑noticed figure” in the effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a move that has intensified partisan tensions in Washington. While the confirmation process is a routine part of the administration’s staffing, the political context underscores the high stakes of the OMB’s leadership.
The Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will consider Duncan’s qualifications and his approach to fiscal policy. The committees will also discuss the broader implications of the OMB’s role in shaping the federal budget and the administration’s spending agenda.
The confirmation process will conclude with a vote by the full Senate. If confirmed, Duncan would become the second‑highest ranking official in the OMB, responsible for overseeing the agency’s budgetary analysis and for ensuring that executive branch agencies adhere to the president’s fiscal priorities.
The outcome of the hearing will be closely watched by lawmakers, budget analysts, and the public, as it signals the administration’s commitment to its spending‑cut agenda and the direction of federal fiscal policy.
The Senate committees are scheduled to hold the hearing later this week, and the full Senate is expected to vote on the nomination in the coming months. The confirmation of a new OMB deputy director will be a key step in the Trump administration’s effort to reshape federal spending and to implement its fiscal policy objectives.
According to the Senate Budget Committee’s schedule, Duncan will appear before the committee to answer questions about his experience and his plans for the OMB. The OMB, the largest office in the Executive Office of the President, is responsible for preparing the federal budget and overseeing the implementation of the president’s policy priorities across the executive branch. The deputy director reports directly to the OMB director, who is currently Russell Vought.
Vought, who has served as OMB director twice and as deputy director in previous administrations, was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025. He has been a key figure in the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and to pursue aggressive spending cuts.
Duncan’s background includes work in the legislative affairs office of the OMB, where he helped shape budget proposals for the Trump administration. Prior to that, he served as a staffer for Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a former Republican senator known for his fiscal conservatism, and later for Representative Chip Roy of Texas, who has been a vocal advocate for limited government spending.
The confirmation hearing has attracted attention from both sides of the aisle. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s fiscal policies, called Duncan a “conspiracy theorist” during the hearing. Duncan, in contrast, maintained a calm demeanor and appeared to smile while answering questions.
The OMB’s deputy director position has become a focal point of the Trump administration’s broader budget strategy. The administration has pursued a series of proposals to cut discretionary spending, reduce entitlement program costs, and streamline federal agencies. The deputy director is expected to play a key role in implementing these cuts and in coordinating with other agencies to ensure compliance with the president’s budgetary goals.
The hearing also comes amid ongoing political developments. Duncan has been described as a “little‑noticed figure” in the effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a move that has intensified partisan tensions in Washington. While the confirmation process is a routine part of the administration’s staffing, the political context underscores the high stakes of the OMB’s leadership.
The Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will consider Duncan’s qualifications and his approach to fiscal policy. The committees will also discuss the broader implications of the OMB’s role in shaping the federal budget and the administration’s spending agenda.
The confirmation process will conclude with a vote by the full Senate. If confirmed, Duncan would become the second‑highest ranking official in the OMB, responsible for overseeing the agency’s budgetary analysis and for ensuring that executive branch agencies adhere to the president’s fiscal priorities.
The outcome of the hearing will be closely watched by lawmakers, budget analysts, and the public, as it signals the administration’s commitment to its spending‑cut agenda and the direction of federal fiscal policy.
The Senate committees are scheduled to hold the hearing later this week, and the full Senate is expected to vote on the nomination in the coming months. The confirmation of a new OMB deputy director will be a key step in the Trump administration’s effort to reshape federal spending and to implement its fiscal policy objectives.
