Trump officials booed over debt deal
Mnuchin, Mulvaney try to pitch votes to GOP
WASHINGTON — House Republicans hissed and booed senior Trump administration officials Friday as they pitched President Donald Trump’s deal with Democrats to increase the nation’s borrowing authority.
Conservatives have demanded budget cuts in exchange for any hike in the debt limit, and they were unhappy with a deal that combined more than $15 billion in disaster relief with the less palatable debt increase.
“Vote for the debt ceiling for me,” Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin pleaded with Republicans on Friday at a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, according to several lawmakers.
Yet Republicans questioned why they would cast a politically risky vote for Mnuchin, who has no strong ties to Congress and also happens to be a former Democratic donor. Mnuchin is a banker and former hedge fund manager.
“Ha. He’s not one of my constituents,” said Rep. Ted Yoho, R-fla.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, a former tea-party congressman from South Carolina, took a hard line against debt increases during his years in the House. He was booed when he stepped up to speak, though at least one lawmaker said the booing was largely good-natured.
Rep. Ryan Costello, R-PA., described a surreal scene with Mnuchin and Mulvaney pressing Republicans to rally around the disaster-aid package.
“It’s kind of like, ‘Where am I? What’s going on here?’” Costello said. “If it wasn’t so serious, it kind of would have been funny.”