Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Sunday said the White House is just “asking for our priorities” in a spending bill which Congress must pass to prevent a government shutdown on President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office.
“We are asking for our priorities and, importantly, we are offering to give Democrats some of their priorities as well,” Mulvaney said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Mulvaney cited an offer he made to Democratic lawmakers last week for “$1 of CSR payments for $1 of wall payments,” referring to cost-sharing reduction payments, which are Obamacare subsidies to insurers.
“We think we have given them a reasonable set of choices that they want in exchange for what we want,” he said. “The negotiations are not finished yet.”
Mulvaney said a government shutdown if Congress fails to pass a spending bill is “not a desired end.”
“I don’t think anybody is trying to get to a shutdown,” he said. “I don’t think anybody foresees or expects or wants a shutdown at the end of next week.”
Asked whether Trump would sign a spending bill that didn’t include funding for his proposed border wall, however, Mulvaney said: “We don’t know yet.”
