Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s Pick for Budget Director, Is Confirmed

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/us/politics/mick-mulvaney-omb-confirmed.html

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WASHINGTON — A divided Senate confirmed Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina to be President Trump’s budget director on Thursday, installing in his cabinet a fiscal hawk who will play a central role in the administration’s plans to reshape the federal government.

Mr. Mulvaney was confirmed to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget by a vote of 51 to 49, narrowly making the cut over a unified front of Democrats, joined by Senator John McCain of Arizona, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee who accused Mr. Mulvaney of being antimilitary. Mr. McCain was angered by Mr. Mulvaney’s support for firm spending limits on the Defense Department.

“I will vote to oppose Congressman Mulvaney’s nomination because it would be irresponsible to place the future of the defense budget in the hands of a person with such a record and judgment on national security,” Mr. McCain said.

Mr. Mulvaney enters the job with a busy agenda, because the administration must prepare a budget and address raising the debt limit in the coming weeks. The Trump administration has also promised to roll out a tax plan in short order. Mr. Mulvaney’s views favoring drastic changes to Medicare and raising the eligibility age for Social Security put him at odds with Mr. Trump, who campaigned as the candidate who would protect those popular entitlement programs.

Mr. Mulvaney was blamed by Democrats and some Republicans for orchestrating a government shutdown during the Obama era. His stands on spending may also clash with Mr. Trump’s promises of big, new investments in the military and infrastructure.