MICK MULVANEY TO AVOID A
GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN,
MAYBE GETTING OFF IN 2018 ON
BIPARTISAN FOOT.
WE'LL SEE.
>> WE ARE GOING TO DRAIN, THE,
SWAMP.
DAVID: TURNS OUT THE SWAMP OF
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOES A
LOT DEEPER THAN MOST OF US
THOUGHT.
OPINION PIECE FROM INVESTOR
BUSINESS DAILY THE SWAMP TRUMP
IS TRYING TO DRAIN IS NOT A
SWAMP BUT AN OCEAN.
IT IS BACKED UP BY STATES FROM
OPEN THE BOOKS.
THEIR OWN PERSONAL GAINS.
CASE IN POINT, IT COSTS TAX PAY
ARREST MILLION DOLLARS A MINUTE
TO EMPLOY THE WORKFORCE THE
GOVERNMENT DISCLOSES, LET'S
BRING IN FRED BARNES.
HE IS THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR FOR
"THE WEEKLY STANDARD."
FRED, THIS IS A FASCINATING
I KNOW HOW MUCH MORE GOVERNMENT
WORKERS USUALLY MAKE THAN FOLKS
I WONDER IF PRESIDENT TRUMP KNEW
HOW BAD IT WAS.
>> HE DOES NOW AND I DON'T THINK
IN FACT, I LIVED MY WHOLE LIFE
HERE, WRITTEN ABOUT THE FEDERAL
DAVID: YEAH.
>> WHEN YOU PUT THE MILITARY
INVOLVED IN THERE, IT COSTS JUST
PERSONNEL COSTS SOMETHING LIKE
$220 BILLION A YEAR.
DAVID: RIGHT.
>> WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY AT
MINIMUM SALARY AT MOST OF THESE
AGENCIES, MAJORITY OF THEM IS
100 TO YOU DOLLARS OR MORE.
DAVID: LET'S EVEN GO MORE
THIS REPORT.
THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
MAKING OVER $190,823 A YEAR,
29,852.
NUMBER OF U.S. GOVERNORS MAKING
THE SAME AMOUNT, ZERO.
IN OTHER WORDS ABOUT 30,000
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MAKE MORE THAN
ANY GOVERNOR IN THE UNITED
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT SENATORS.
BUT IT IS AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I KNOW WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID.
HE IS GOING TO DRAIN THE SWAMP.
I'M NOT OPTIMISTIC.
DAVID: HE IS FROM THE PRIVATE
SECTOR, FRED.
THE FACT HE WANTS TO APPLY
PRIVATE SECTOR STANDARDS TO WHAT
THE GOVERNMENT DOES.
NOW, A LOT OF PRESIDENTS HAVE
TRIED TO DO IT.
>> YEAH.
DAVID: NOT MANY PRESIDENTS CAME
FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY
DON'T MESH, THE PRIVATE AND
PUBLIC SECTORS.
THE AVERAGE BENEFITS FOR
GOVERNMENT WORKERS, SPECIFICALLY
THAT TRANSLATES INTO 8 1/2 WEEKS
OF PAID VACATIONS.
NOW WHO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
IN FACT I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY WHO
DOES.
BESIDES YOU'RE LEAVING OUT THEY
SO IT IS ALL THAT TO BOOT.
LOOK, IT IS, I MEAN THIS IS A
GOVERNMENTS AS WELL.
DAVID: YEAH.
GOOD POINT.
>> IT IS HUMONGOUS HERE.
DAVID: LET ME BRING IT BACK TO
SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE
DEBATING ABOUT WHICH IS THERE IS
SPLIT BETWEEN PAUL RYAN WHO
WANTS TO CUT THE SIZE OF
GOVERNMENT, FOCUS ON
ENTITLEMENTS.
MITCH McCONNELL SAY, NOT NOW.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT LATERS,
FIRST WE HAVE TO DO
INFRASTRUCTURE.
HERE IS SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT
WHAT HE COULD DO CUT WASTE AND
FRAUD IN SOME OF THESE
ENTITLEMENTS.
WE HERD FROM A GAO REPORT THERE
IS $60 BILLION WASTED IN
MEDICARE ALONE.
MEDICAID YOU HAVE $36.3 BILLION
OR COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
YOU ADD THOSE TOGETHER, UP TO
ALMOST $100 BILLION, IF YOU CUT
OUT THE WASTE AND FRAUD.
SO HE MAY BE ABLE TO DO THIS
WITHOUT CONGRESS.
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
IT WILL BE AWFUL HARD.
REMEMBER WE HAD THE GRACE
COMMISSION.
ZERO-BASED BUDGETING UNDER JIMMY
CARTER.
DAVID: JIMMY CARTER IS NOT
DIFFERENT MANNER.
>> I GRANT YOU THAT.
I THINK HE IS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT
THIS.
HE MEANS IT.
BUT IT IS GOING TO BE AWFUL HARD
TO DO.
YOU HAVE TO GO ABOUT IT RIGHT
WAY.
FIRST THING HAS TO HAPPEN, GET
THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THEY HAVE
TO GET CONTROL OF THE
DEPARTMENTS.
DAVID: THAT IS A GOOD POINT.
>> YOU REALLY NEED TOUGH PEOPLE.
SCOTT PRUITT IN EPA IS ONE.
BUT YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ABOUT
MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
DAVID: ON OTHER HAND, LOOK AT
WHAT SCOTT PRUITT HAS DONE IN
TERMS OF CUTTING BACK