Ed Markey: “I thank my friend from Missouri, and the Senate, for giving me this opportunity to speak. I rise to speak in opposition…”

“I thank my friend from Missouri, and the Senate, for giving me this opportunity to speak. I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Representative Mick Mulvaney to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Congressman Mulvaney represents the latest of President Trump's broken promises to the American people. In this case, it is President Trump's campaign promise to protect Social Security, and Congressman Mulvaney is the man who will lead the charge. The Office of Management and Budget, OMB, as it is called, is like that group of scientists in the movie ``Apollo 13'' who have to figure out how to bring the spacecraft home with only a few items found in a couple of boxes. In the movie, they describe it as fitting a square peg in a round hole. In government, we call it the Federal budget. The crucial role of OMB and the development of the Federal budget means that the Director often has the final word on the priorities of our Federal agencies. The Director must be someone who will approach the enormity of the Federal Government in a thoughtful and deliberative manner. They must be able to consider how the budget will impact the everyday lives of all Americans. Representative Mulvaney's support for reckless, across-the-board cuts demonstrates that he is not up to this challenge. Donald Trump campaigned on the promise that he would make no cuts to the Social Security safety net. That means no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.…”