Sunday: Mulvaney, Lankford, Khan
A Republican-crafted budget passing a Republican-majority Senate isn't ordinarily a huge story, but Thursday night's 51-49 vote meant that the president's tax-reform framework cleared the first of what's sure to be many hurdles before possibly becoming law. But that story was eclipsed this week by a divisive debate over presidents and how they should honor the memory of fallen service members. This Sunday on "Face the Nation," we'll delve into both of those conversations and much more.
We'll sit down with the White House budget director, Mick Mulvaney, and ask him about the Republican budget and tax reform plans. He was a big critic of debt and deficits when he was in Congress – as are a number of Congressional supporters of the tax framework. What's changed? What is he doing to help push tax reform through Congress? And how do the administration's fiscal promises stack up against the facts?
We'll also hear from Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. Does he see the passage of the budget this week as an encouraging sign for tax reform? How can Republicans avoid the internal divisions that doomed, at least for now, their attempt to repeal Obamacare? Lankford, a member of the Senate Committee on Intelligence, may also weigh in on the deadly ambush that killed four American service-members in Niger – along with the controversy sparked by President Trump's response to a question about whether he'd spoken to the families of the fallen.
Khizr Khan, a devout Muslim and attorney whose son died serving in Iraq, will also join the program to discuss his new memoir "An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice." Khan, an outspoken critic of President Trump who delivered a memorable speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, will also give his perspective on the controversy involving Gold Star families this week.
For the latest on the deadly attack in Niger – how it happened and what investigators are currently examining – we'll turn to former Acting CIA Director and CBS News contributor Michael Morrell and CBS News Pentagon Correspondent David Martin.
As always, our expert political panel will help break down the busy news week. This Sunday, we'll hear from the editor of National Review, Rich Lowry, Slate's chief political correspondent, Jamelle Bouie, Politico's chief international affairs columnist, Susan Glasser, and Michael Duffy, of Time Magazine.
We'll round out the program with Green Beret-turned-football player, Nate Boyer, the former long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks. Boyer recently penned a letter addressed to Colin Kaepernick and President Trump calling for unity amid ongoing debates over kneeling during the national anthem.
It was a busy week, and we've got plenty to cover on Sunday, so check your local listings and tune into "Face the Nation" this weekend.