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Conservatives are worried that a trade war with China could wipe out the positive economic benefits of the tax-cut law and cost Republicans their majorities in Congress, the Hill writes.
Andy Roth, vice president of government affairs at the conservative Club for Growth, says Republicans and Trump created an “enormous, pro-growth tailwind” going into the November midterm election by passing and enacting the tax law. “I think that they’ve needlessly created this headwind that could erase all those gains,” he said. Similarly, Tim Phillips, president of the conservative Americans for Prosperity network, said the tariffs could be troublesome for Republicans in the midterms, since they have made the economy a key part of their messaging.
See: China says it will fight a trade war ‘until the end’ after Trump’s latest tariff threat.
Lobbyist couple cited: The lobbyist couple who leased a room to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have been cited for not having the required license to rent the room, CNN reported. The District of Columbia government said the property owners don’t hold the business license required to rent the property. The notice of infraction carries a potential fine of $2,034, according to the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Also read: While controversies rage, Trump says EPA chief Pruitt still has his support.
Mulvaney gave big raises: Mick Mulvaney, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has complained that the regulator engages in “wasteful spending” and needs to be slimmed down. But as the New York Times reports, his belief didn’t apparently apply to two recent hires. Mulvaney appointed two senior staff members who are paid salaries of more than $230,000 — amounts that are far above what they had been earning in their previous government jobs in Washington. That is according to agency documents obtained by the Times through a public records request.
The raises went to Kirsten Sutton, CFPB chief of staff, and Brian Johnson, another new deputy, the Times said. An agency spokeswoman blamed previous director Richard Cordray for setting the precedent of paying large salaries to senior leaders.