Trump nominates CFPB leader, but Vought's 'not going anywhere'

Mark Schoeff Jr., CQ-Roll Call on Nov 19, 2025

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has tapped another Office of Management and Budget official to head a consumer protection agency the administration is trying to wind down, but the administration indicated Wednesday that OMB Director Russ Vought will remain in charge.

Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach, an OMB associate director, to become the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Levenbach would, if confirmed, replace Vought, who has led the CFPB in an acting capacity since February.

But a spokesperson for the OMB and CFPB said Levenbach is a “technical nomination” that restarts the clock on Vought’s timeline for serving as acting OMB director. The 210-day clock limits the time an acting director may remain in a position, but the clock is extended if the president nominates another person.

“The bottom line is Director Vought’s not going anywhere,” the spokesperson said.

The comment confirmed Senate Banking ranking member Elizabeth Warren’s statement.

“Donald Trump’s sending the Senate a new nominee to lead the CFPB looks like nothing more than a front for Russ Vought to stay on as Acting Director indefinitely as he tries to illegally close down the agency,” Warren, D-Mass., said in a statement. “Instead of doing everything in their power to lower costs for Americans, Trump and Vought want to make it easier for giant corporations to scam families out of their money.”

The Levenbach nomination comes three weeks before Vought’s 210-day limit.

Vought has launched an effort to dramatically pare back the CFPB, which has long been a target of criticism from the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers who accuse it of regulatory overreach.

A federal judge halted in March Vought’s attempt to fire the vast majority of CFPB employees. The Department of Justice filed a notice with the court this month that the CFPB could exhaust its funding early next year because the Federal Reserve, its source of funding, isn’t profitable. The interpretation could cause the CFPB to shut down.

Levenbach has been OMB associate director for natural resources, energy, science and water since January, according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile also indicates that he left that position this month. His nomination was sent to the Senate on Tuesday.

“I began my career studying kelp forests and have since led high impact initiatives in natural resource policy across both the public and private sector,” Levenbach says on his LinkedIn profile. “Now as the Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy, Science, and Water in the White House Office of Management and Budget, I lead a team of experts overseeing a broad portfolio of federal programs.”

Levenbach is Trump’s second nominee for CFPB director. The White House withdrew the first one, Jonathan McKernan, in May.

Democrats have defended the CFPB against Vought’s attacks, asserting that the agency provides crucial banking sector oversight and has returned more than $21 billion to consumers since its establishment following the 2008 financial crisis.

Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America, said in a statement that the Levenbach nomination is designed to prolong Vought’s tenure so that he can “complete his illegal plan to dismantle the agency.”

“Congress should stand up against this disingenuous nomination,” Rust added. “It cannot continue to allow the Administration to ignore the Consumer Financial Protection Act and the CFPB’s clear authority.”

The Consumer Bankers Association welcomed Levenbach’s nomination.

“America’s leading Main Street banks look forward to continuing to work with the Trump Administration on data-driven, pro-growth policies that will support hardworking Americans and drive the economy forward, while at the same time ensuring the Bureau fulfills its statutory mission and sticks to what Congress authorized it to do,” CBA CEO Lindsey Johnson said in a statement.