Nobody is thrilled about government shutdowns.

They’re disruptive, acrimonious, disorderly, and they get far more public attention than they merit.

There’s no economic or stock market impact. In fact, we saw markets hit record highs yet again today.

Shutdowns don’t affect essential programs — like Social Security, or Medicare, or veterans’ benefits, or military operations.

But we have a shutdown. And I’m going to say: This shutdown provides an opportunity to reduce the size and scope of government.

And when that door opens, it’s important to walk through it.

What’s more, the quarterback of this opportunity is Russ Vought, the Office of Management and Budget director. I can’t think of a better person to be in that exact spot at exactly this moment.

Russ had been working hard on these issues for many years.

And because he’s been working on these issues in and out of government for many years, he is ready to take the opportunity with an action plan.

Here’s what he told me yesterday after I asked: “You have the authority, the power, as I understand it, to actually cut jobs and cut programs rather than just furlough them. Is that the case, Russ?”

“We do,” he said. “We have the authority to make permanent change to the bureaucracy here in government. And I think that the takeaway for the American people is that we are on the brink of a government shutdown that is caused entirely by Democrats based on their outrageous demands of about $1.5 trillion. And so we’re not going to be held hostage to these kinds of insane, ridiculous demands by the Democrats.”

Pretty clear to me. 

Russ is unencumbered by institutional restraints. By that, I mean he’s never served as a senator or a House member.

He was the OMB director in the first term, when we worked together and became good friends. But that experience just sharpened his instincts and knowledge.

I don’t know how many federal employees he will fire during this shutdown, or how many programs he will eliminate — but there are hundreds of unnecessary programs and, by one account, something like 800,000 unnecessary employees could now be on Russ Vought’s chopping block.

If the government admits that hundreds of thousands of government employees are “nonessential” during a shutdown — well, then let’s admit they’re permanently nonessential once the shutdown ends, as well.

Some 300,000 federal workers are already leaving voluntarily with generous severance pay and buyouts.

So it’s possible the federal government could be a million employees smaller than when President Trump was inaugurated.

And that brings me to another key point — Russ Vought believes in executive power. That means the President.

And I totally agree. 

The unelected federal bureaucracy shouldn’t run the government — it should be run by the chief executive. That includes agencies, boards, commissions, you name it. There’s no fourth branch of government.

Let’s go for budget impoundment authority to curb unnecessary and wasteful spending.

Agency commissioners should be subject to presidential appointment and dismissal.

Many of these executive powers existed for several hundred years before a left-wing Congress removed them during the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal.

And these powers should be reclaimed

I believe that I share this point of view with Russ Vought.

Deregulating the economy, cutting taxes, ending unnecessary spending — are all means towards a prosperous economy.

Now is the time to seize that opportunity.

From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business Network.