Nothing Like a Good Shutdown

05-02-2017
Mick Mulvaney

WASHINGTON DC—Congressional leaders reached a budget deal Monday they believe will pass the House and avoid a government shutdown.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney took to the White House briefing room to explain why this budget was a win for the GOP.

The bipartisan deal has faced criticism. Not only from the far left but from members of the GOP who it’s over budget and it doesn’t go far enough to address things near and dear to conservatives.

Namely, defunding Planned Parenthood.

“We had a good discussion about them,” said Mulvaney but after talking to avid pro-life supporters decided it would be better to attach defunding on Planned Parenthood to the highly anticipated Healthcare bill.

He says the president’s record is clear on his support of the pro-life movement.

Mulvaney says while Dems walked away from the table claiming victory, the bill is actually a testament to the president’s negotiating skills.

Noting that not only did the administration pull in 21 billion in defense spending, it successfully got rid of the Obama administration's dollar for dollar deal. Meaning, for every dollar spent on defense, a dollar had to also go towards a Democratic issue.

Show Me the Money!

“We’re gonna build a wall and…?”

So far, no movement from the Mexican government on payment for the border wall. When asked why the administration requested money at all, if indeed Mexico was going to pay for it, Mulvaney said the answer was simple. Strike while the iron is hot.

“We had the opportunity to move quicker than we expected. If President Obama had been able to pass a 12 month CR in October 2016, we wouldn’t even be here because all of this would have been dealt with. None of this would have been available. None of the additional spending for defense, the additional money for school choice, for the border, none of that would’ve been there,” explained Mulvaney.

He went on to say the funding from this budget will go towards replacing an existing wall, not construction of the new wall.

A Good Shutdown?

“The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!” the president tweeted Tuesday.

So what defines a “good” shutdown?

Mulvaney says he’s been through a shutdown and they’re no fun. But he defended the president’s Tweets, saying a good shutdown is one that “fixes Washington DC permanently."

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