House Democrats unleashed a barrage of criticism on Russell Vought during a Wednesday hearing, marking his first and likely last appearance before Congress as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Several lawmakers openly welcomed his impending exit, accusing him of systematically dismantling the consumer watchdog agency.
“Sir, I’m glad you’re leaving,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said during the House Financial Services Committee session. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) echoed that sentiment, adding, “Sadly, your harm will remain for generations to come. I have every reason to believe that history will judge you harshly.”
Vought, who also serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is expected to step down from his CFPB role in August. His tenure has been marked by aggressive efforts to shrink the agency, including halting its operations, shutting down its headquarters, and slashing its workforce. Under his leadership, the CFPB faced legal challenges after the Trump administration attempted to cut off its funding and reduce staff to just five employees—a move blocked by a federal judge.
The hearing came amid broader Republican efforts to rein in the CFPB, which conservatives have long criticized as an overreach of federal power. House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) introduced the CFPB Reform Act, a legislative package aimed at eliminating the agency’s unique funding structure—drawn from the Federal Reserve rather than congressional appropriations—and imposing new restrictions on its civil penalty fund.
Vought defended his actions, arguing the agency had become “weaponized out of control” and exceeded its statutory mandate. “While we have sought to downsize this agency to the maximum extent possible and rein in its abuses, we have continued to operate it in accordance with that purpose,” he said. He also reiterated his opposition to the CFPB’s independent structure, calling it “structurally defective” and insisting it should be subject to the appropriations process.
Democrats pushed back fiercely, accusing Vought of violating his oath to uphold laws enacted by Congress. “You may not like it, but it is what Congress set forth,” Meeks said. “Congress has never relieved the bureau of its statutory responsibilities.” Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) argued that the CFPB’s independence was intentional, designed to shield it from political pressure. “We made the CFPB independent to protect us from that,” he said, referencing Vought’s political choices.
Republicans, however, came to Vought’s defense. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) placed blame on the Dodd-Frank Act, which created the CFPB, arguing it granted the director “enormous power, unaccountable from Congress.” Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) expressed sympathy for Vought, saying, “I’m going to miss seeing you there.”
The clash over the CFPB is part of a larger battle over independent agencies. The Trump administration has sought to exert more control over entities like the CFPB, and recently secured a Supreme Court victory overturning a precedent that protected agency heads from at-will removal by the president. Trump has nominated Brian Johnson, a former CFPB official from his first term, to lead the agency on a permanent basis.
