director of the consumer financial protection bureau, requests no money. the headlines ignored mulvaney s broader missions to reshape an agency that s been awash in controversy since its inception in 2011. the cfpb had $177 million on hand to begin the fiscal year but needs 145 million to cover its operating expenses for the quarter. that according to the white house is why mulvaney requested no additional money for the second quarter. a major departure from his obama administration predecessor who asked for $270 million for the fiscal first quarter of 2018. the belt-tightening, a byproduct of review of the agency, about which mulvaney once said. it turns out being a joke. that s what it has been.
a small group of gop senators are signaling opposition that could block their own party s massive tax overhaul. the trump administration is signaling that it may be willing to budge on its stand for a major provision in the republican tax plan, taking aim at obamacare. speaking yesterday, white house budget director mick mulvaney suggested while the administration wants to repeal the health law s individual mandate it is open to dropping the repeal from the senate bill to make sure a final bill gets to president trump s desk, which mulvaney says may take some bending of the rules. using reconciliation so that we only need 50 votes in the senate instead of 60. in order to do that, certain proposals can only have certain economic impact.
are you in the camp just to be clear the house freedom caucus, which mulvaney was the founder, do you get the feeling with whatever they come up with, it will be flawed but it will be better than the affordable care act the way it is now? the montra has been get something done, is something is better than nothing. are you in that camp? i am in that camp. however, where i think the senate went wrong strategically was not starting with the house bill. they announced some of them that they would rewrite their own. then you have competing plans. i m of the camp, get something done. but the critical components are, eliminate the penalties, eliminate the taxes, eliminate the mandates that require you to have stuff in your health insurance that you don t want and that is driving up the cost. so i m in that camp. i happen to believe most of the