Russ Vought is President of the Center for Renewing America. Prior to founding CRA, he served as the 42nd Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for nearly two years, first in an acting capacity and then as confirmed by the Senate. As OMB Director, he was a member of the President’s Cabinet and was responsible for the implementation of the President’s policy, management, and deregulatory agendas across the Executive Branch.
During his four years at OMB, Russ was one of Trump’s most trusted and competent managers. OMB was a key office in pushing for conservative victories and helping President Trump cut through bureaucracy , even called the President’s Toolkit by The Economist.
Prior to serving in the Trump Administration, Russ spent 20 years working in Congress and with grassroots and public policy organizations. He worked for seven years as Vice President of Heritage Action for America. Prior to that, he worked on Capitol Hill, serving as the Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, as the Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), and as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Phil Gramm.
Russ graduated with a BA from Wheaton College in 1998 and a JD from the George Washington University Law School in 2004.