Full interview: OMB Director Mick Mulvaney

KELLY.
>>> PLUS THE HEALTH CARE BILL
THE PRESIDENT INSISTS IS STILL
ALIVE.
>>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE
DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT
AND BUDGET, FORMER CONGRESSMAN
MARK MULVANEY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON WITH US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, AS
ALWAYS.
>> I WANT TO ASK ABOUT SOME OF
THE WHITE HOUSE PERSONNEL
ISSUES.
WHEN GENERAL ANKLECY SWORN IN ON
MONDAY AS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF, WILL ALL STAFF MEMBERS
IMMEDIATELY BEGIN REPORTING TO
HIM?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I ANSWER TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET ACTUALLY REPORTS DIRECTLY
TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
OBVIOUSLY, WE ANSWER TO THE
PRESIDENT, AS EVERYBODY DOES IN
THE WEST WING.
BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, MY
REPORTING DOESN'T CHANGE.
NOR DO I HAVE ANY REASON FOR IT
TO CHANGE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO OUR
BUSINESS AT OMB THE SAME WAY WE
DID LAST WEEK.
I THINK WE'RE DOING SOME GOOD
WORK AND LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUING THAT UNDER GENERAL
KELLY'S LEADERSHIP.
>> ONE OF THE REASONS I'M ASKING
IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE WORKED AT THE WHITE
HOUSE OR WORK CONTINUOUSLY AT
THE WHITE HOUSE SAY THAT BECAUSE
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT
POWER CENTERS AND PEOPLE WHO
SEEMINGLY HAVE EQUAL STATUS TO
THE CHIEF OF STAFF, IT CAN BE
CONFUSING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR
THE CHAOS.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, DO YOU HAPPEN
TO KNOW IF ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI,
THE NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR,
WHO CAME ON BOARD REPORTS
DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT WILL
HAVE TO REPORT TO JOHN KELLY,
ANY IDEA?
>> I'VE SEEN THOSE SAME REPORTS
AND RECOGNIZE THAT NARRATIVE IS
OUT THERE.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT IT'S VERY
CLEAR WHAT WE DO AT OMB AND
THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE
OTHER REPORTING WITHIN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
>> LET ME RETURN TO HEALTH CARE.
FOLLOWING THIS WEEK'S COLLAPSE
OF EFFORTS TO REPEAL OBAMACARE
AND ON OCCASION ROW PLACE IT,
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL SAID HE'S WILLING TO
MOVE ON TO OTHER ISSUES.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SEEMS STUCK ON
THE ISSUE, TWEETING ABOUT IT ALL
WEEK LONG INCLUDING THIS
MORNING.
UNLESS REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARE
TOTAL QUITTERS REPEAL AND
REPLACE ARE NOT DEAD.
DEMAND ANOTHER VOTE BEFORE
VOTING ON ANY OTHER BILL.
IS THIS OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE
POLICY, THAT NOTHING SHOULD BE
VOTED ON IN CONGRESS, NOT EVEN
THE DEBT CEILING BEFORE THE
SENATE VOTES AGAIN ON HEALTH
CARE?
>> YES.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
THERE IS THE PRESIDENT SIMPLY
REFLECTING THE MOOD OF THE
PEOPLE.
POLL THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND
FIND OUT WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT
ISSUE IS TO THEM RIGHT NOW AND
IT'S HEALTH CARE.
IN THE WHITE HOUSE'S VIEW, THEY
CAN'T MOVE ON IN THE SENATE.
IN THE PEOPLE'S VIEW, THEY
SHOULD MOVE ON IN THE SENATE,
STAY, WORK, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO
SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
KEEP IN MIND, YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT SOMETHING THEY PROMISED TO
DO FOR SEVEN YEARS.
YOU CAN'T PROMISE FOLKS YOU'RE
GOING TO DO SOMETHING FOR SEVEN
YEARS AND THEN NOT DO IT.
IN ADDITION TO THIS POLICY
CONSIDERATION, YOU DO HAVE
OBAMACARE.
IT IS FAILING.
IT IS HURTING PEOPLE.
TO NOT CHANGE IT ALLOWS THAT TO
GO FORWARD.
THAT'S A POLICY CONSIDERATION.
AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE THE
POLITICAL CONSIDERATION THAT YOU
PROMISED FOLKS YOU WOULD DO THIS
FOR SEVEN YEARS.
YOU CANNOT GO BACK ON THAT.
YES, THEY NEED TO STAY, WORK,
PASS SOMETHING.
THAT'S NOT ONLY OFFICIAL WHITE
HOUSE POSITION ON THIS RIGHT
NOW, IT'S SORT OF THE NATIONAL
ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT.
>> WELL, THEIR POLLS INDICATE
THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
PLURALITY OF THEM, SUPPORT
OBAMACARE.
I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A WHOLE
DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WANT.
I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT A
TWEET THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT
OUT SATURDAY THAT WAS KIND OF
C
CRYPTIC.
BAILOUTS FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES
AND BAILOUTS FOR MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS WILL END VERY SOON.
ON THE BAILOUTS FOR INSURANCE
COMPANIES, I'LL GET TO THAT IN A
SECOND.
IS THE PRESIDENT THREATENING TO
CUT OFF FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH
INSURANCE PLANS, FOR MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS?
IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS?
BAILOUTS FOR MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS?
>> I TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT AT
LENGTH ABOUT THAT EXACT ISSUE
YESTERDAY.
HIS ATTITUDE IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
KEEP IN MIND, HE DOES HAVE THIS
WAY OF CHANNELING A LARGE NUMBER
OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
WHAT HE'S SAYING IS, LOOK, IF
OBAMACARE IS HURTING PEOPLE, AND
IT IS, THEN WHY SHOULDN'T IT
HURT INSURANCE COMPANIES AND,
MORE IMPORTANTLY PERHAPS FOR
THIS DISCUSSION, MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
THERE IS A CERTAIN BENEFIT THAT
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS GET AS PART
OF AN OPM DECISION A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO.
THE PRESIDENT IS SIMPLY LOOKING
THAT THE GOING, IS IT FAIR THAT
OBAMACARE IS HURTING PEOPLE IF
YOU LIVE IN A COUNTY THAT IS
WHAT WE CALL A BARE COUNTY WITH
NO COVERAGE, IF YOU'RE OBLIGED
BY LAW TO BUY SOMETHING THAT IS
NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT'S HURTING
YOU, SHOULD INSURANCE COMPANIES
AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BEAR
SOME OF THAT BURDEN AS WELL?
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT ISSUE.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AS WE
MOVE FORWARD.
>> THAT'S ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK,
PERHAPS TAKING AWAY THE HEALTH
CARE PLANS, HEALTH INSURANCE
PLANS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
WOULD HE TARGET STAFF MEMBERS
FOR THIS AS WELL?
>> BACK UP FOR A SECOND.
YOU DON'T TAKE AWAY COVERAGE FOR
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THEY'RE OBLIGED BY LAW TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE EXCHANGES.
I DID WHEN I WAS A MEMBER OF THE
CONGRESS.
THERE'S ALSO A DECISION FROM THE
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
THAT ALLOWED A SPECIAL EXEMPTION
TO THE RULES ON EMPLOYER
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THOSE PLANS.
IT'S NOT A CONCEPT OF TAKING
COVERAGE AWAY.
IT'S THE APPROACH OF ACTUALLY
OBLIGING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO
FOLLOW THE EXACT LAW THAT THE
FOLKS THAT THEY GOVERN ARE
FOLLOWING.
>> SO, FORCING THEM ON TO THE
OBAMACARE EXCHANGES?
>> THEY ARE ALREADY ON THE
EXCHANGES.
LET'S MAKE THAT CLEAR.
ALL THAT STUFF YOU READ ON THE
INTERNET THAT CONGRESS EXEMPTED
THEMSELVES FROM OBAMACARE IS NOT
RIGHT.
WHEN I WAS A MEMBER OF THE
CONGRESS I HAD TO BE ON THE
EXCHANGES.
THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION DEALT WITH
THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION, HOW
MUCH YOUR EMPLOYER, WHEN YOU'RE
A MEMBER OF CONGRESS THAT'S THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR COVERAGE.
THAT'S THE RULE THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS TALKING ABOUT IN
HIS TWEET YESTERDAY.
>> LASTLY, SIR, ARE YOU
OPTIMISTIC THAT GENERAL KELLY,
SECRETARY KELLY WILL BRING A
DISCIPLINE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
THAT IS NEEDED?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT'S WHY HE'S THERE.
TAKE REINCE AT HIS WORD.
I DON'T THINK HE'S HIDING THE
BALL ON THIS AT ALL.
THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO CHANGE
DIRECTIONS, WANTED TO GO IN A
DIFFERENT WAY THAN THE WAY THAT
OFFICE WAS MANAGED.
I THINK HE WAS TERRIBLY
EFFECTIVE BUT WAS PROBABLY MORE
LAID BACK AND INDEPENDENT IN THE
WAY HE RAN THE OFFICE.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO
GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, WANTS
MORE DISCIPLINE, LITTLE MORE
STRUCTURE IN THERE.
HE ENJOYS WORKING WITH GENERALS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL IN THE
ADMINISTRATION DOING
EXTRAORDINARY JOBS.
THE PRESIDENT LIKES THAT.
I SIMPLY THINK YOU SAW HIM SAY
LET'S TRY A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
WHEN IT COMES TO CHIEF OF STAFF.
I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH JOHN KELLY.
HE HAS TREMENDOUS

Full interview: OMB Director Mick Mulvaney

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