Mick Mulvaney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mick Mulvaney
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Official portrait, 2017
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| United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland | |
| In office May 1, 2020 – January 6, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Gary Hart (2017) |
| Succeeded by | Joe Kennedy III (2022) |
| White House Chief of Staff | |
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Acting
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| In office January 2, 2019 – March 31, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | John F. Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Mark Meadows |
| 41st Director of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| In office February 16, 2017 – March 31, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Russell Vought |
| Preceded by | Shaun Donovan |
| Succeeded by | Russell Vought |
| Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | |
| Acting November 25, 2017 – December 11, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Leandra English Brian Johnson (acting) |
| Preceded by | Richard Cordray |
| Succeeded by | Kathy Kraninger |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 2011 – February 16, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | John Spratt |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Norman |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 16th district |
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| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Chauncey K. Gregory |
| Succeeded by | Chauncey K. Gregory |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 45th district |
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| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Eldridge Emory |
| Succeeded by | Deborah Long |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Michael Mulvaney
July 21, 1967 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Pamela West
(m. 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Georgetown University (BS) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (JD) |
John Michael Mulvaney (born July 21, 1967) is an American politician. He has held several important roles in the U.S. government. From 2017 to 2020, he was the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He also served as the acting White House Chief of Staff from 2019 to 2020. Before working for the president, Mulvaney was a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Mulvaney is a member of the Republican Party. He worked in the South Carolina General Assembly from 2007 to 2011. He was first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate. He then served as a U.S. representative for South Carolina's fifth congressional district from 2011 to 2017.
President-elect Donald Trump chose Mulvaney to lead the OMB in December 2016. The Senate approved his nomination in February 2017. While leading the OMB, he also acted as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from 2017 to 2018. He was also the acting White House Chief of Staff from 2019 to 2020. After leaving these roles, he became the U.S. special envoy for Northern Ireland. He held this position from March 2020 until January 2021.
Mulvaney was known for supporting fiscal conservatism when he was in Congress. This means he believed in careful spending and low government debt. However, as OMB Director, the national debt increased. This was due to both more spending and tax cuts. In January 2019, Mulvaney became acting White House Chief of Staff. He resigned as Special Envoy for Northern Ireland in January 2021, after the storming of the U.S. Capitol. In 2022, Mulvaney started working as a contributor for CBS News. He also works for NewsNation and CNBC.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mulvaney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 21, 1967. His father, Mike, worked in real estate, and his mother, Kathy, was a teacher. He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Later, he moved to Indian Land, South Carolina. His family has Polish and Irish roots.
He went to Charlotte Catholic High School. Then he attended Georgetown University. He studied international economics, commerce, and finance. He graduated with honors in 1989.
Mulvaney then went to law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received a full scholarship. He focused on antitrust law, which deals with fair business practices. He earned his law degree in 1992.
Starting His Career
From 1992 to 1997, Mulvaney worked as a lawyer. He then joined his family's business, which built homes and dealt with real estate. He also took part in a business management program at Harvard Business School. He was also a part-owner of Salsarita's Fresh Cantina, a restaurant chain.
South Carolina Legislature
Mulvaney began his political career in South Carolina.
State House
In 2006, Mulvaney was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives.
State Senate
In 2008, he was elected to the South Carolina Senate. While in the State Senate, Mulvaney served on several important committees. These included Judiciary, Labor/Commerce/Industry, and Medical Affairs.
In 2010, he was named Legislator of the Year. This was for his work supporting the state's Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Working in Congress
Mulvaney served in the United States House of Representatives for South Carolina.
Elections
2010 Mulvaney ran against John M. Spratt Jr., who had been in office since 1983. Mulvaney won with 55% of the votes.
2012 He won re-election for his second term. He defeated Democrat Joyce Knott with 56% of the votes.
2014 He won re-election for a third term. He defeated Democrat Tom Adams with 59% of the votes.
Mulvaney helped start the bipartisan Blockchain Caucus. This group helps lawmakers understand cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies. They also work to create policies that support these new technologies.
2016 Mulvaney won the Republican primary with 78% of the votes. He was re-elected for a fourth term. He won over 59% of the votes against Fran Person.
Time in Office
While in the U.S. House, Mulvaney was part of the Tea Party movement. He also helped create the Freedom Caucus.
He was against new gun control laws. He also opposed the Affordable Care Act, a healthcare law.
Government Shutdown
Mulvaney was known for taking a strong stance on government spending. He was willing to shut down the government to achieve his goals. He even embraced the term "Shutdown Caucus." He believed that a government shutdown could help fix problems in Washington, D.C.
Regulations
Mulvaney supported the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015. This act would have created a group to remove or change old and unnecessary federal rules.
Budget Discussions
In 2013, there was a budget deal proposed by Paul Ryan and Patty Murray. This deal would set spending limits for 2014 and 2015. Mulvaney led the opposition to this bill. He felt it did not focus enough on reducing the national debt.
Presidential Endorsements
In September 2015, Mulvaney supported Kentucky Senator Rand Paul for president. This was during the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.
Committees He Served On
- Committee on Financial Services
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce (chairman)
Groups He Was a Member Of
- Republican Study Committee
- Freedom Caucus
- Tea Party Caucus
- Liberty Caucus
- Congressional Constitution Caucus
- Congressional Blockchain Caucus
Helping the President
Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) helps the president prepare the federal budget.
Nomination
On December 16, 2016, Mulvaney was chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to be the director of the OMB.
The United States Senate Committee on the Budget and the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs reviewed his nomination. Then the full Senate voted.
On February 16, 2017, the Senate confirmed Mulvaney by a vote of 51–49. Some senators opposed him because of his past efforts to cut budgets.
Time as Director
As OMB director, Mulvaney wanted to influence President Trump to cut spending on Social Security and Medicare. These are programs that help older Americans and people with disabilities.
Under Mulvaney, the national debt increased. This was due to both more government spending and tax cuts. This increase was unusual during a time when the economy was growing.
Trump Administration's Budget Ideas
In March 2017, Mulvaney talked about the Trump administration's budget plan. He said the government would only ask for taxpayer money if it could guarantee the money was used properly. For example, he justified cuts to programs like Meals on Wheels. He said they were "just not showing any results." However, others disagreed, saying these programs greatly help people.
In May 2017, Mulvaney presented Trump's $4.1 trillion budget for 2018. This budget included cuts to the United States Department of State and the Environmental Protection Agency. It also increased funding for defense and paid family leave. The budget also proposed $1.6 billion for a border wall. It aimed to reduce spending on welfare programs and Medicaid. Mulvaney believed the budget would not increase the national debt. He thought future tax cuts would lead to economic growth.
Government Shutdown
In May 2017, Mulvaney suggested that a "good shutdown" of the federal government might be needed. He said such a shutdown would "fix Washington, D.C. permanently."
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) protects consumers in the financial marketplace.
Appointment
Mulvaney had been a strong critic of the CFPB when he was a congressman. He even supported laws to get rid of it. Despite this, President Trump appointed Mulvaney as the acting director of the CFPB in November 2017.
There was a legal disagreement about who should be the acting director. However, a U.S. District Judge allowed Mulvaney to start serving.
Time as Acting Director
During Mulvaney's time at the CFPB, the bureau's power to enforce rules and regulate companies was reduced. He stopped hiring new staff and collecting fines. He also paused new rules and reviewed ongoing investigations.
In January 2018, Mulvaney stopped an investigation into a payday lender. He also dropped a lawsuit against an online lender. He suspended a rule about short-term payday loans. By April 2018, he had not taken any enforcement actions against finance companies. The previous director had averaged two to four actions per month.
In April 2018, Mulvaney suggested closing public access to the CFPB's online database of consumer complaints. This database allowed people to post complaints about financial services. Mulvaney said he didn't see a reason for the government to run a "Yelp for financial services." The database could not be fully shut down, but it could be closed to the public. Later, this proposal was reversed.
In April 2018, Mulvaney announced a $1 billion fine against Wells Fargo for bad practices. This case had started before Mulvaney took over.
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is a very important role. This person manages the White House staff and the president's daily schedule.
Appointment
On December 14, 2018, President Trump named Mulvaney as his acting White House Chief of Staff. Before Trump was elected, Mulvaney had said some critical things about him. For example, he called Trump a "terrible human being." On March 6, 2020, President Trump announced that Mark Meadows would replace Mulvaney.
Time as Chief of Staff
When Mulvaney became chief of staff, he appointed people who shared his views to White House positions.
In March 2019, Mulvaney stated that all White House healthcare plans covered pre-existing conditions. However, fact-checkers said this claim was misleading. They noted that the proposals would have weakened protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Mulvaney wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal after the November 2020 election. He wrote that Trump would accept the election results if he lost. However, Trump did not concede after losing to Joe Biden.
Later Roles
After leaving his role as chief of staff, Mulvaney became the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. This job had been empty since Trump became president. He was sworn in via a FaceTime call on May 1, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mulvaney resigned from his position as special envoy on January 6, 2021. This was after the U.S. Capitol protests. He told a reporter that his resignation was based on his principles. He said, "We didn't sign up for what you saw last night." He added that Trump was "not the same as he was eight months ago."
In March 2022, CBS News hired Mulvaney as a paid on-air contributor. This decision was part of an effort to include more Republican commentators.
Personal Life
Mulvaney is a Roman Catholic. He married Pamela West in 1998. They met in a bookstore line when he was a law student. The couple has triplets, Finn, James, and Caroline, who were born in 2000.
Mulvaney's brother, Ted, works as a portfolio manager for Braeburn Capital. This is the investment part of Apple Inc..
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2017
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Official freshman portrait
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Speaking at the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.
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Speaking at a campaign event for Senator Rand Paul, September 2015
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October 2019 Press Briefing
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