White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he had not removed the “acting” part of his title because he makes a higher salary that way.
Mulvaney, who is also the director of the Office of Management and Budget, talked about keeping multiple positions during a Wednesday night speech at the Oxford Union.
“Because it’s a $20,000 pay cut,” he said about leaving the OMB position, according to the New York Times. Mulvaney’s deputy, Russell Vought, took on the role of acting director of OMB in early 2019.
Through OMB, Mulvaney makes $203,500 a year. That salary is set by law. The position also requires Senate confirmation.
Reince Priebus and John Kelly, President Trump’s first two chiefs of staff, earned $179,700 apiece, according to the Wall Street Journal. The maximum salary allowed for a White House aide is $183,000. That’s what senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and Larry Kudlow, the president’s top economic adviser, make.
If Mulvaney were to remove the temporary part of his title, he’d be forced to accept a decreased salary at or below that $183,000 marker.
