Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday found themselves in a heated clash over the White House's budget proposal. The two interrupted each other and raised their voices during a Senate Budget Committee hearing, the Hill reports.
Sanders initially focused on the budget's repeal of the estate tax, which he claimed would give massive tax breaks to the nation's wealthy, estimating the Trump family would save $4 billion and the Walton family of Wal-Mart would save $52 billion.
Sanders contrasted this tax break with those who would lose federal food and welfare subsidies under the budget. Sanders also objected to Republican attacks on Republican-appointed Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall.
Mulvaney started to respond to Sanders's concerns about Hall, but the Vermont Senator cut him off.
"Your opinion is that the results are terrible, I’m suggesting that it was a member of the Trump administration who appointed this gentleman," Sanders said.
"So we can agree that the CBO puts out bad data," Mulvaney said.
"No, we can’t. We can agree that you guys are beating up on a man you appointed because you don’t like his results," Sanders said.
The two fought over federal funding for the Meals on Wheels program, before returning to Sanders's central concern: the claimed $52 billion tax break for the ultra-wealthy Walton family.
Mulvaney attempted to respond that the tax repeal was part of the overall replacement of ObamaCare. But Sanders wasn't satisfied.
"Ordinary people are paying more," Mulvaney said.
"No, ordinary people don’t have $128 billion," Sanders interjected. "You’re not answering the question. Answer the question!"
At this point, concerns over healthcare arose.
"We don’t cut Medicaid. We’re talking about ObamaCare repeal," Mulvaney said.
"Which throws 23 million people off health insurance!" Sanders said.
"We’re talking about a CBO number that I think you just agreed could be wrong," Mulvaney said. Sanders denied that he had agreed.
In the end, the back-and-forth was ended by the expiration of Sanders's time. Before the clock was up, the two agreed on at least one thing: everyone will die eventually.