White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney is signaling similar flexibility, saying on CNN Sunday that decisions about deductions remain up in the air as “the bill is not finished yet.” He took it a step further, by adding that a tax plan that doesn’t add to the deficit won’t spur growth.
“I’ve been very candid about this. We need to have new deficits because of that. We need to have the growth,” Mulvaney said. “If we simply look at this as being deficit-neutral, you’re never going to get the type of tax reform and tax reductions that you need to get to sustain 3 percent economic growth.”
The deficit hawks will return as soon as anyone suggests spending 5 extra cents on a school lunch. It's always been about the tax cuts.
Reporters should never listen to "deficit hawks" again now that they've all gone silent. But they will. The Bipartisan Committee To Starve Granny will be back.