Senator Eric Schmitt

So if we can actually have some reform, bend that curve, have revenues with all of the good things that are happening with President Trump catch up, it's realistic to think we can have a balanced budget in a few years. But we've got to do that hard work, and we can do that in the reconciliation process too, which only takes a simple majority in the Senate.

So if we can actually have some reform, bend that curve, have revenues with all of the good things that are happening with President Trump catch up, it's realistic to think we can have a balanced budget in a few years. But we've got to do that hard work, and we can do that in the reconciliation process too, which only takes a simple majority in the Senate.

And I think for the audience, that's the most important thing. If the House can hang together and Senate Republicans can hang together on this, we don't need a single Democrat vote. I wouldn't expect to get one because they're not – rational at this point. So we got to make sure we take care of our own business here.

And I think for the audience, that's the most important thing. If the House can hang together and Senate Republicans can hang together on this, we don't need a single Democrat vote. I wouldn't expect to get one because they're not – rational at this point. So we got to make sure we take care of our own business here.

Sure, and you're right. I think that... it's coming into focus now. We spend more. We spend a trillion dollars a year on the interest on that $36 trillion debt. That's only going to grow as some of these things become more mature and they need to be refinanced with higher interest rates over the last few years because of Biden inflation, right?

Sure, and you're right. I think that... it's coming into focus now. We spend more. We spend a trillion dollars a year on the interest on that $36 trillion debt. That's only going to grow as some of these things become more mature and they need to be refinanced with higher interest rates over the last few years because of Biden inflation, right?

So that problem is only going to get more significant unless we can find real savings. I think there's two ways to look at this. One is There's a lot of discretionary spending that we're finding the savings. This is the work that Doge is doing, right? And so we've just take USAID as an example. All of that money, Guam on sex changes, DEI and Burma.

So that problem is only going to get more significant unless we can find real savings. I think there's two ways to look at this. One is There's a lot of discretionary spending that we're finding the savings. This is the work that Doge is doing, right? And so we've just take USAID as an example. All of that money, Guam on sex changes, DEI and Burma.

LGBTQIA, you know, programming in Sesame street in Iraq, that all stuff that adds up. Right. And that's the kind of thing like take Marco Rubio, what he said was, he said, 83% of the stuff we were doing, we're not going to do that anymore. The 17% that remains, we're going to go move in further American interests overseas. Right.

LGBTQIA, you know, programming in Sesame street in Iraq, that all stuff that adds up. Right. And that's the kind of thing like take Marco Rubio, what he said was, he said, 83% of the stuff we were doing, we're not going to do that anymore. The 17% that remains, we're going to go move in further American interests overseas. Right.

That's the kind of reform you have internally that Doge finds that gets embedded in savings moving forward. What are some other things you can do? I think what's broadly popular, um, is work requirements. If you're an able-bodied adult, you should be required to work. That explosion under Obamacare is really affecting people who need it most, Medicaid.

That's the kind of reform you have internally that Doge finds that gets embedded in savings moving forward. What are some other things you can do? I think what's broadly popular, um, is work requirements. If you're an able-bodied adult, you should be required to work. That explosion under Obamacare is really affecting people who need it most, Medicaid.

So when President Trump talks about making sure we're not touching Social Security, not making sure we're touching benefits on Medicare and Medicaid, I think we're all with him in lockstep. But we got to make sure that the able-bodied population that's not working, they're draining the system. They're crowding hospitals. They're crowding out doctor visits for

So when President Trump talks about making sure we're not touching Social Security, not making sure we're touching benefits on Medicare and Medicaid, I think we're all with him in lockstep. But we got to make sure that the able-bodied population that's not working, they're draining the system. They're crowding hospitals. They're crowding out doctor visits for

you know, pregnant mothers, individuals with disabilities, what that program was really meant for. So there's a lot of work to do, as I said, to put meat on the bones there, but I think we can get there. And here's the way to look at it.

you know, pregnant mothers, individuals with disabilities, what that program was really meant for. So there's a lot of work to do, as I said, to put meat on the bones there, but I think we can get there. And here's the way to look at it.

If we just went back to pre-pandemic spending, Charlie, 2019 spending levels, plus inflation and population growth, that's like a trillion dollar difference than what we're spending right now. So I think we can make some real progress here.

If we just went back to pre-pandemic spending, Charlie, 2019 spending levels, plus inflation and population growth, that's like a trillion dollar difference than what we're spending right now. So I think we can make some real progress here.

Yeah, I spent a lot of this week, I think, defending President Trump's leadership in Washington. And permanent Washington is totally disconnected from what's really happening. Sort of the global elites have had their run here. After World War II, we had all these favorable deals for countries who were trying to get back on their feet, Germany, Japan, all these countries.

Yeah, I spent a lot of this week, I think, defending President Trump's leadership in Washington. And permanent Washington is totally disconnected from what's really happening. Sort of the global elites have had their run here. After World War II, we had all these favorable deals for countries who were trying to get back on their feet, Germany, Japan, all these countries.