Trump picks fiscal conservative Mick Mulvaney as budget director

US president-elect Donald Trump on Saturday picked a conservative Republican lawmaker as his budget director at the White House, who he believes would help in responsibly managing the finances of the world’s biggest economy, currently under a debt of nearly “$20 trillion”. Nominated as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Congressman Mick Mulvaney, 49, of South Carolina brings a wealth of experience on economic, budgetary, and fiscal issues to his new role, Trump’s Transition Team said.

“We are going to do great things for the American people with Mick Mulvaney leading the Office of Management and Budget,” Trump said. Mulvaney has long been a strong voice in Congress for reining in out-of-control spending, fighting government waste and enacting tax policies that will allow working Americans to thrive.

“Right now we are nearly $20 trillion in debt, but Mick is a very high-energy leader with deep convictions for how to responsibly manage our nation’s finances and save our country from drowning in red ink,” said Trump. “With Mick at the head of OMB, my administration is going to make smart choices about America’s budget, bring new accountability to our federal government, and renew the American taxpayer’s trust in how their money is spent,” Trump said.

Getting America’s fiscal house in order is a key component of Trump’s America First plan to create millions of jobs and grow the economy, the transition team said in a statement. Trump will have to balance the spending cuts, alongwith delivering on his pre-poll promises of drastic tax cuts and a big infrastructure boost. Mulvaney said the Trump administration will restore budgetary and fiscal sanity back in Washington after eight years of an out-of-control, tax and spend financial agenda, and will work with Congress to create policies that will be friendly to American workers and businesses.