WASHINGTON–With Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaking out against Mick Mulvaney’s role as both director of the CFPB and head of the Office of Management and Budget, the man who is now filling both of those jobs is saying it’s not an issue.
As CUToday.info reported here, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged President Trump’s appointment of Mulvaney to lead the CFPB, clearing the long-time critic of the agency to become its director.
Mulvaney, who has pledged a lighter regulatory touch, has the support of the credit union trade associations.
Warren has responded by saying that despite the ruling the legality of the appointment remains questionable, and also called on Mulvaney and White House Counsel Don McGahn to provide information on additional OMB staff serving at the CFPB, ethics standards for Mulvaney and his staff and record-keeping procedures in place to ensure the two agencies' work remains separate.
Warren, who is largely responsible for the creation of the CFPB, has said she will continue to press the case. In a letter to Mulvaney, Warren asked him to answer a series of questions about how he planned to adhere to CFPB ethics and housekeeping rules and expressed concern that “Mr. Mulvaney and his staff may not be following all appropriate procedures.”
Mulvaney, meanwhile, has said he will have no problems performing both jobs, even as his role of OMB director has him in the thick of the latest fight over funding the federal government.
“That’s just life. I’ve been a small business owner before, I’ve slept at the office, I’ve worked 16 hours a day and seven days a week,” he said during a press conference. “It’s not something new. If you’ve started your own business, I’ve done it more than once, you know working a little extra is not that big a deal in the final scheme of things.”
Mulvaney said he plans to divide his time by working three days at OMB and three days at the CFPB until the president is able to nominate and confirm a new head of the consumer agency.