When challenged to explain how his position was consistent with President Trump’s campaign vows, Mulvaney fudged. He suggested that Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and Medicare can be interpreted to allow any measure that helps both programs meet their obligations — “even and especially if those obligations are reduced.” According to Mulvaney’s contorted logic, we must cut Social Security and Medicare in order to save them.
Michael Grunwald’s profile of Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney for Politico starts with an extraordinary anecdote — seemingly sourced to Mulvaney himself — about how he tricked Donald Trump into violating his pledge to avoid proposing any cuts to Social Security.
According to Grunwald, Mulvaney — a very ideologically orthodox conservative who hates the idea of spending money on domestic social assistance programs — knew that Trump’s campaign promises were a problem for him. But he charged ahead anyway by bringing a big list of proposed cuts to a meeting at the Oval Office:
“Look, this is my idea on how to reform Social Security,” the former South Carolina congressman began.
“No!” the president replied. “I told people we wouldn’t do that. What’s next?”
“Well, here are some Medicare reforms,” Mulvaney said.
“No!” Trump repeated. “I’m not doing that.”
“OK, disability insurance.”This was a clever twist. Mulvaney was talking about the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which, as its full name indicates, is part of Social Security. But Americans don’t tend to think of it as Social Security, and its 11 million beneficiaries are not the senior citizens who tend to support Trump.
“Tell me about that,” Trump replied.
“It’s welfare,” Mulvaney said.
“OK, we can fix welfare,” Trump declared.via Vox.
Related Graphic:
Mick Mulvaney was just chosen as Trump’s Chief of Staff. He has a history of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare. He now has the ear of the President.
It’s unfortunate that in a desperate attempt to fill the White House chief of staff position vacated by General John Kelly, President Trump turned to an avowed ‘entitlement reformer.’ The new acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, is an outspoken fiscal hawk committed to cutting Social Security and Medicare. This should be of concern to seniors and their advocates.
Vox called the former South Carolina Congressman, current director of the Office of Management and Budget, and temporary head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “a very ideologically orthodox conservative who hates the idea of spending money on domestic social assistance programs.”
As budget director, Mulvaney pressured the president to cut Social Security and Medicare – despite Trump’s campaign promise “not to touch” either program. In fact, the budgets Mulvaney submitted to Congress on behalf of the Trump administration called for some $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and $64 billion to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
President Trump on Friday abruptly named Mick Mulvaney, currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget, as acting White House chief of staff, elevating a conservative ideologue with congressional experience to steer the administration through a treacherous phase.
via Washington Post.
Related Reading:
Mulvaney is, in effect saying, we have to cut Social Security and Medicare in order to save them, which is patently wrong. The two programs could be kept solvent deep into the 21st century through modest and manageable measures that we have detailed many times since last Fall, with no benefit cuts.
Did you miss Behind the Headlines this week?
President Trump’s acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney:
He now has the ear of the President.
The budgets Mulvaney submitted to Congress on behalf of the Trump administration called for some $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and $64 billion to Social Security Disability Insurance.
Mulvaney, who supports Social Security and Medicare reforms, told CNBC ‘we’re working on’ persuading Trump to embrace entitlement reform, including changes to Social Security Disability Insurance.
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney was on CNBC recently speaking about Social Security and SSDI.
Under a rapid-fire series of questions from Republican and fellow South Carolinian Lindsey Graham, Mulvaney pledged to tell Trump that he will need to reconsider his campaign promise about not touching Social Security or Medicare.
via CNN.
Tell Congress to REJECT Rep. Mick Mulvaney and keep its “Hands off Commitment to Social Security and #Medicare.”
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