He’s not exactly every economist’s idol, but for Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Reagan-era budget chief David Stockman has always been the gold standard.
Mulvaney, who took the same path to office that Stockman did — from the House to the administration — revealed that he has always wanted to follow the lead of Stockman, notorious for too bluntly questioning President Ronald Reagan’s budget plans.
“It’s a fascinating place to be. It’s a job I always wanted,” Mulvaney said recently at an event hosted by Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School of Public Policy.
“When I first got to Congress, I was on the budget committee, and one of the very first witnesses at the time was the director of management and budget,” he said. “And I was like wow, I remember that name from the ’80s, David Stockman. As a kid I remember watching him on TV, thinking that seems like a really cool job. And then when I found out what it really was, I’m like, that’s what I’d like to do. It took me a while, but I’m here having a great time doing it.”
Mulvaney has been thrust into his own controversy this week, though not of his making. He has been named acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board — the same job the exiting director gave a deputy.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
