Article snippet: Senate Republicans, eager to avert a government shutdown or automatic spending cuts, want acting White House chief of staff MORE pushed to the sidelines in budget negotiations with Democrats. GOP lawmakers would prefer Treasury Secretary MORE take the lead in representing the White House, as they see him being more amenable to a two-year spending deal that would also raise the debt limit. Mulvaney, on the other hand, is viewed as resistant to striking a two-year deal, which would take the prospect of another government shutdown off the table until after the 2020 election. And Republicans point to Mulvaney’s time in the House as the reason for their concern. As a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Mulvaney was an outspoken critic of big budget deals that swell the federal deficit. That’s also one of the main reasons MORE appointed him to serve as White House budget director before he transitioned last year to serve as acting chief of staff. GOP lawmakers say they were pleased that Mnuchin took the lead in a recent meeting Speaker MORE (D-Calif.) hosted in her office with Congress’s other top leaders. “He’s been very helpful. My experience with Secretary Mnuchin has been very positive, and I think it’s a job he’d be good at,” Sen. MORE (R-Ky.), said of Mnuchin taking the lead for the White House in budget talks. Cornyn said he understood from speaking to Sen. MORE (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee who is invol... Link to the full article to read more