“The predicate to running a ‘more streamlined and efficient bureau’ is that there will continue to be a CFPB,” Vought said in a motion filed Monday. 

The motion came in response to a lawsuit filed by the CFPB union against the Trump administration when Vought ordered workers to stop working. President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk have aired their disapproval of the agency. Musk even posted on X, “CFPB RIP,” following up on a previous post that said he would “delete” the agency. 

While CFPB has been under DOGE’s scrutiny, Vought said the agency is not going anywhere.

“Incoming Presidents of both parties have routinely issued directives that pause policy-related decision-making to allow the reevaluation of those policies that were under consideration or under development but not finalized by the prior administration,” Vought wrote. 

Vought blamed the staff’s protests for the rationale behind closing the office. 

“Those protests involve large and disruptive gatherings outside of the CFPB Headquarters building, even though the overwhelming majority of CFPB employees primarily telework rather than work in the office,” Vought wrote. “Given these disruptive protests involving the CFPB’s own staff, CFPB leadership has closed the CFPB Headquarters Building and tightened staff supervision.”

Vought argued that CFPB’s union failed to show standing in their lawsuit.

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“Because the public has an interest in ensuring that an agency can carry out its statutory duties in line with the policy priorities of the democratically elected administration, the public interest and balance of the equities tip in Defendants’ favor,” the motion says.

The CFPB was created in 2011 by former President Barrack Obama in response to the abuses and financial practices that caused the 2008 financial crisis.