On Wednesday, Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee grilled Budget Office nominee Russell Vought on Trump’s plans to cut Medicaid and federal nutrition assistance in order to offer more tax cuts to the wealthy. In a tense exchange with Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, Vought touted welfare work requirement policies and the Republican-backed Clinton-era welfare reform that ended up doubling extreme poverty and depriving those most in need of essential government support.

Russell Vought: “It led to caseload reductions, people getting off of welfare, going back into the workforce. And we think that that — that type of thinking should be applied to other federal programs. And it’s informed not only Medicaid, but other programs, to be able to encourage people to get back into the workforce, increase labor force participation and give people again the dignity of work.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley: “And you believe cutting off healthcare encourages people to work when they need to get better health in order to work? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Russell Vought: “Again, Senator” —

Sen. Jeff Merkley: “And it’s been a failed experiment.”

Russell Vought co-authored the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a far-right blueprint to radically reshape federal agencies.