Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) expressed concerns about the House’s domestic policy measures during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, arguing that the proposals would worsen the national deficit.
“We have to act responsibly. The primary objective of adjusting the budget should be to lower the deficit,” Johnson remarked. “Instead, this will actually increase it.”
“To be clear, I’ve estimated that the House bill could add around $4 trillion,” he noted.
The House passed a significant version of the bill early Thursday after an intense session.
The Joint Tax Committee (JCT)—Congress’s official revenue analysis body—predicts that the tax-related elements will add approximately $3.7 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years, once offsets are taken into account. Much of this deficit increase is attributed to the proposed extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
Johnson is among a few Republican senators who have criticized the House plan as it moves to the Senate for consideration.
“I believe there will be enough senators to halt the process until the president is truly committed to reducing spending and the deficit,” Johnson told Tapper regarding the bill’s chances in the Senate.
He suggested that further efforts are necessary and views current spending levels as insufficient to alleviate long-term deficit pressures attributed to House Republicans.
“I fully support President Trump in his endeavors, and I admire his decisiveness in addressing the substantial issues stemming from the Biden administration,” Johnson stated. “Our focus needs to be on spending—cutting back on it is vital for reducing the deficit.”
“Continuously spending like this is like dying from a thousand little cuts,” he added. “And it often goes unnoticed, except by those who profit from the waste, fraud, and abuse.”
