GOP defense hawks barely squawked on Mulvaney nomination

President Trump's choice for budget director, Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., headlined a half a dozen nominees. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed to end debate on Monday night.

Depending on the Democrats' plans to resist the nominees, Mulvaney could receive his first full Senate vote on Wednesday and a final vote as early as Thursday.

What once looked like it could become an internal Republican battle between budget hawks and defense hawks never picked up much momentum after some harsh questioning from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

No other Republican Mulvaney skeptics emerged.

Mulvaney's surprise nomination to run the Office of Management and Budget was cheered by fiscal conservatives who viewed the Freedom Caucus member as an uncompromising spending-cutter. The Cato Institute's Chris Edwards hailed him as "the most fiscally conservative budget director in decades."