Grassley: OMB Nom’s Tax Issues ‘Could Create Problems’ For Confirmation

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, whose panel is responsible for vetting judicial appointments, arrives for a hearing shortly after President Barack Obama announced Judge Merrick Garland as ... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, whose panel is responsible for vetting judicial appointments, arrives for a hearing shortly after President Barack Obama announced Judge Merrick Garland as his nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., repeated his steadfast opposition to holding confirmation hearing in the Judiciary Committee in President Obama’s last months in the White House and made it clear in a speech on the floor that the GOP-led Senate will not consider President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, but will wait until after the next president is in place. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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A Republican senator who sits on the committee that will consider the nomination of Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) as the director of the Office of Management and Budget said Thursday that the revelation that Mulvaney had failed to pay income tax on a household employee may “create problems” for his confirmation.

“It could create problems,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told CNN. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve had problems with former Cabinet people under both Republicans and Democrats where that’s either been straightened out — or if there wasn’t justification for it oppose it.”

According to CNN, he did not say whether he believed Mulvaney should withdraw.

Grassley sits on the Budget Committee, which will host hearings on Mulvaney next week. Typically a nominee is approved by the committee that holds jurisdiction over his or her agency before heading to a floor vote, but it is possible that the committee can be bypassed for a full Senate vote.

Mulvaney confessed on his Senate confirmation questionaire that he had neglected to pay more than $15,000 in payroll taxes for a household employee — reportedly a sitter for his children — between 2000 and 2004, and had since paid back taxes, according to the New York Times.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is continuing to defend Mulvaney’s nomination.

“The fact of the matter is that nobody is more qualified and more prepared to fight to rein in Washington spending and fight for taxpayers than Mick Mulvaney,” transition spokesman John Czwartacki said in a statement, according to CNN. “Congressman Mulvaney raised the issue surrounding the care of his premature triplets immediately upon being tapped for this position, and has taken the appropriate follow-up measures.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Consider the source - it’s Grassley that’s saying this. GRASSLEY!

    He’ll be confirmed, as will all the swampy dumbass, clueless, tax dodging, insider trading sludge that Twitler has put up

  2. Avatar for cd cd says:

    Regardless if this buffoon is confirmed or not, raising the debt limit ceiling in March ought to be a fun conversation among the ruling party, wonder how much begging for Democratic votes to overcome the “Freedumb” caucus intransigence will take place. Shit is gonna hit fan.

    Too bad the Rs forgot how to be adults, that they continually need D’s to be the adults in the room to bail them out.

    Since pain will be felt during this administration, the Ds should work hard to make sure it is felt for reasons that advance their agenda, such as waking up the dipshit voters who made this travesty happen. Those voters will need to feel pain to best understand their ignorance and to vote more in line with their own economic interests moving forward. Resistance to the R agenda could be token in effort, since there is really no way to stop it anyway. Voters need to understand what government in the hands of the Rs means. Broken government is by design with them.

  3. “The fact of the matter is that nobody is more qualified and more prepared to fight to rein in Washington spending…”

    What better way to rein in spending than to personally refuse to fund that spending? I’m sure that’s the very principled stand Mulvaney took rather than tax evasion.

    By the way, by refusing to pay this person “over the table” and file/pay the appropriate taxes, he also robbed the worker of 4 years of Social Security contributions. Just wage theft in another form.

    @cd - remember, none of the Douchebagger members have ever had consequences for their tantrums - they were “swept in” in 2010 and have always had President Obama to veto their ridiculous proposals. No mas.

  4. Avatar for dv01 dv01 says:

    Oh Chuck, I think we know exactly how you’ll vote. Thanks for your faux concern.

  5. Why would this be a dealbreaker in a world where a man can openly brag about not paying taxes for nearly 20 years and be rewarded with the Presidency?

    I’d think Mulvaney would qualify for a medal.

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