Mulvaney: Rescission Package Claws Back $15B Into Budget

A rescissions package arriving on Capitol Hill would claw back $15 billion into the nation's budget by appropriating funding that has not yet been spent from federal programs, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday.

"It's money that is either not authorized or not expected to be spent, so we can take the money back without impacting the programs," Mulvaney told Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" host Maria Bartiromo.

Example of a program that would not be impacted: the Children's Health Insurance Program, Mulvaney said.

"There are other funds that go back to the stimulus, the way it worked back then, it still works this way a little bit, but certainly a lot more under the previous administration was they threw a bunch of money at various agencies and said you can have this money for as long as you want it or need it."

Those programs still have money in them, he continued, "so we're going to find that taxpayer money and claw it back."

There is no way to rescind the $1.3 trillion omnibus bill passed earlier this year, but there is a way to change it, said Mulvaney.

"We're breaking it down step-by-step," he told Bartiromo. "If this passes, it will be the largest rescission package to pass in history. We could have sent up a request for a quarter of a trillion dollars. We could have found that money if we wanted to. If it doesn't pass, it doesn't make a difference. If this passes, we think it's a success for the administration and the country."

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is seeking $25 billion for the wall at the Mexican border, and Mulvaney said the administration had sought the money from last year's $1.3 trillion discretionary budget.

There is already a 30-foot wall going up along the border, thanks to $1.7 billion in the budget, said Mulvaney.

"It's not like there's no money being spent on the wall," he said. "It is. We asked for all of the money for all of the wall at one time and they refused to work with us."

The Trump administration sent information to Congress on Monday about its priorities for next year's budget, said Mulvaney, and is encouraging lawmakers to follow the the spending process "they're supposed to do," so at this time next year, "we don't have to fall back on terrible omnibus spending bills."

Senate Democrats pose the "real difficulty," with passing legislation, he said.

"The House passed all of the appropriations bill last year, as it should have, and provided for a good chunk of money for border protection," said Mulvaney. "It was the Senate with the crazy 60 vote rule that is sort of the end of all good legislation. That's where the obstruction begins and ends is the Democrats in the Senate."

Traditionally, a rescissions package would be a bipartisan measure, said Mulvaney, so this will be a test for Senate Democrats.

"Is a good bill a bad bill just because Donald Trump is in the White House?" he said. "We don't think so. We're trying to focus attention on the Senate Democrats who obstructed on everything from our nominations to the wall to spending and maybe today on rescissions. We'll be able to find out the next couple days."

Mulvaney later in the morning appeared on "Fox and Friends," where he dismissed complaints from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that the Trump administration is going after the CHIP program and money that millions of children depend on.

"Here is the point of the matter," said Mulvaney. "If he would answer a straight question he would admit this. The CHIP program is not allowed to spend that money ... it would be illegal for them to write that check."

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• 23 Senate Republicans Voted Against Omnibus Bill