Trump's debt ceiling deal opens path for tax reform: Mick Mulvaney

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday said President Donald Trump’s debt ceiling deal with Democrats clears the path for comprehensive tax reform.

“Clearing the decks and getting these things out of the way for now was I think the right call and allows us to focus on what’s important not only to the administration, but to the folks the president represents,” Mulvaney told FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto of ‘Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast.’

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said the short-term debt ceiling deal lacks spending cuts and actual conservative structural reforms.

“When we look at the debt ceiling we’ve got to get our spending under control, Neil. You know it, I know it [and] the American people know it. So if we are going to do that, we’ve got to address this debt ceiling boat with some type of structural reform,” Meadows told FOX Business.

Mulvaney, a former member of the House Freedom Caucus, said he was surprised the conservative wing of the party has not been more receptive to the concept of shorter-term debt ceiling.

“All we simply did is move this out of the way for now so we can run the government during these very critical times,” he said. “I don’t think we ever had two major hurricanes hit the country in the same week. So there’s other priorities right now and moving it off to December is not burning any bridges.”

After speaking with the President, Rep. Meadows said Trump cut a debt ceiling deal with Democrats to open an opportunity for tax reform.

“[Trump] believes that we needed to clear the deck to do that. I support him in clearing the deck and so that’s why we were at the White House today talking about tax reform and making sure we make it meaningful, robust and get it done by Thanksgiving,” he said.

Mulvaney reiterated that the Trump administration’s policy on tax reform has not changed.

“We want the biggest, most aggressive tax cuts, tax reforms that we can pass into law,” he said.