Capitol Hill Republicans said Wednesday that the White House is planning to submit President Trump's budget plan to Congress in mid-March.
GOP aides say the plan is due March 14. They're expecting Trump's blueprint to contain fewer details than is typical since it's a new administration and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney was only confirmed last week.
The budget submission would include Trump's recommendations on reforming the tax code and cutting agency budgets, and it is likely to set off a lengthy and difficult debate, in part because it's sure to project sizable deficits inherited from former President Barack Obama.
The GOP aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House hasn't made the date public. Calls to the White House budget office were unanswered.
At the White House, meanwhile, the president met with his senior staff Wednesday to discuss the budget, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and newly confirmed Mulvaney.
In brief public remarks, Trump congratulated Mulvaney on his confirmation and said that he inherited a budget that is "a mess."
"We must do a lot more with less," Trump said, promising to end waste and to continue to renegotiate federal contracts. "We have already saved a lot — billions and billions of dollars."
"The finances of this country are a mess, but we’re going to clean that up," he said. "I will be holding everybody accountable for that."
