Mnuchin: ‘We’re very happy’ to have debt, Harvey deal
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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he’s satisfied with a temporary deal President Trump cut with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and extend government funding.
“We’re very happy we have a deal,” Mnuchin told host Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.”
“The president’s priority was to make sure we have the funding for [Hurricane] Harvey and to make sure we raise the debt limit to pay for that,” he continued, adding that the deal “accomplished” those goals.
According to a New York Times report Thursday, Trump even interrupted Mnuchin at one point during the meeting as the Treasury chief made the case for an 18-month debt limit deal.
Witnesses told the Times that Mnuchin appeared to be in shock at the president’s decision as he left the meeting.
Mnuchin, though, is publicly defending the deal, which he said would provide relief to communities hit by Harvey.
“Everybody in the room was very clear that we would never let the government default,” Mnuchin added.
Mnuchin also said that tax reform is “still very viable” this year, especially now that Harvey and the debt ceiling have been addressed for the next three months.
“We have the funding for Harvey, we are focused on tax reform, that’s going to be the big priority for the next 90 days. We are going to work with the two committees on that and get that down to the floor so we can have a bill passed for the president to sign,” he said.
“There’s a lot that’s done. The major blueprint has been outlined. It’s going to go to the committees, the committees will add to different parts of this, but we have a path to get this done this year.”
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