Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (Colo.), who is mulling a presidential bid, on Sunday slammed Republicans for “fiscal hypocrisy” after they criticized former President Obama for deficits but then passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut under President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE.

Bennet on NBC’s “Meet the Press” took aim at White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyMick Mulvaney to start hedge fund Fauci says positive White House task force reports don't always match what he hears on the ground Bottom line MORE, who was a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus when he served in Congress before joining the Trump administration.

He said Mulvaney was “one of the people in the Freedom Caucus who tortured President Obama over and over and over again, calling him a Bolshevik and a socialist and all this stuff.”

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The federal deficit dipped to $485 billion, $438 billion and $585 billion during Obama’s final three years in office but has jumped under Trump, due largely to the tax reform package and spending deal the president signed into law when Republicans controlled Congress.

The Congressional Budget Office projects the deficit to hit $897 billion in 2019 and $903 billion in 2020.

“A Republican president, a Republican Senate, a Republican House, the fiscal hypocrisy is unbelievable,” Bennet said.

He made his comment when asked about the ambitious calls by Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHarris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat — the Californiaization of America GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (D-Mass.) and other liberals to invest more in health care, education, infrastructure and workforce training.

Bennet said “I totally agree with” Warren’s criticism that the benefits of Trump’s tax package go disproportionately to the wealthy but said that public policy leaders need to be realistic about what’s feasible given the country’s fiscal situation.

“The question is — how are we going to make these investments in a way that the solutions will actually endure?” he said.

Bennet raised concerns about "Medicare for all" legislation, which has the support of liberal White House hopefuls such as Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.), Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice First presidential debate to cover coronavirus, Supreme Court Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.).

Bennet said taking private health insurance away from 180 million Americans, as Harris recently proposed during a CNN town hall, “seems like a bad opening offer for me.”

“Remember when President Obama said, ‘If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance.' And then a few people in America actually lost their insurance because of the way that the plan worked. Now what the Democrats are saying is, ‘If you like your insurance, we’re going to take it away from you,’ ” he said.

Bennet became an internet sensation last month when he excoriated Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE (R-Texas) on the Senate floor for hypocrisy after Cruz, who played a prominent role in provoking a 16-day government shutdown in 2013, chastised Democrats for not doing more to end the most recent partial government shutdown.

“These crocodile tears that the senator from Texas is crying for first responders are too hard for me to take. They’re too hard for me to take because when the senator from Texas shut this government down in 2013 my state was flooded. It was underwater. People were killed. People’s houses were destroyed,” the usually even-tempered Bennet said on the floor, his voice rising to a furious shout.

His unexpected passion quickly grabbed the media’s attention and raised his profile as a possible White House aspirant.

— Updated 12:17 p.m.