ADVERTISEMENT

Mulvaney Slams Liberals Who Doubt U.S. Can Achieve 3 Percent Economic Growth

May 23, 2017

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Tuesday castigated liberals who doubt the United States can achieve "sustained" three percent economic growth.

Mulvaney was discussing the Trump administration's first proposed budget during a press conference at the White House when he took on claims that the administration's goal of three percent growth is too ambitious.

Mulvaney said the proposed federal budget would balance, slamming the Obama administration's budgets for never being able to do so as he discussed fiscal discipline and the objective to reach sustained three percent economic growth.

"We have been attacked, stunningly, by some folks on the left and even in the mainstream who say that that's an unreasonable assumption," Mulvaney said. "We should stop and think how absurd that is to think that three percent growth in an American economy is to some people an absurd assumption."

"It used to be normal. Ten years ago, it was normal," Mulvaney continued. "In fact, it's been normal for the history of the country."

Mulvaney then hit the Obama administration for reaching a 1.9 percent growth rate at the end of its tenure.

The OMB director reminded reporters that the difference between two percent growth and three percent growth is not one percent, but 50 percent. He also said that balancing the budget is necessary for economic growth.

"Three percent will be the new normal again under the Trump administration," Mulvaney said.