Senator Ron Johnson

I went back to Clinton in 1998, Obama in 2014, and Trump in 2019. And I exempted Social Security, Medicare, and interest. You know, spend what we need to spend. But all other actual outlays in those three years, I increased them by inflation and population. You know, reasonable control, right? It's what we should have. We don't have a balanced budget amendment.

I went back to Clinton in 1998, Obama in 2014, and Trump in 2019. And I exempted Social Security, Medicare, and interest. You know, spend what we need to spend. But all other actual outlays in those three years, I increased them by inflation and population. You know, reasonable control, right? It's what we should have. We don't have a balanced budget amendment.

At least we should have some reasonable control over outlays. Population growth inflation would make sense.

At least we should have some reasonable control over outlays. Population growth inflation would make sense.

First of all, by my calculation, our average interest rate over the last 50 years on government debt is about 5.8%. So that's 50 years. And we're down here about three, somewhere around 3%. Those are not exact calculations. Listen, that is the hope of all of us. I mean, I will absolutely agree that the number one

First of all, by my calculation, our average interest rate over the last 50 years on government debt is about 5.8%. So that's 50 years. And we're down here about three, somewhere around 3%. Those are not exact calculations. Listen, that is the hope of all of us. I mean, I will absolutely agree that the number one

component of a solution to our enormous debt and deficit problem is economic growth we have to grow the economy but here's the problem is when the government is sucking out of the private sector all you know we're the ones borrowing the money so there's not a whole lot of money left for businesses in the private sector not enough capital there now you can print more money uh

component of a solution to our enormous debt and deficit problem is economic growth we have to grow the economy but here's the problem is when the government is sucking out of the private sector all you know we're the ones borrowing the money so there's not a whole lot of money left for businesses in the private sector not enough capital there now you can print more money uh

But then that sparks inflation. And that, of course, erodes everybody's balance sheet. It also makes our debt less expensive as well. But because we're so in debt, that drives up the interest rates. And again, it ends up being a death and debt spiral. So nobody can predict this.

But then that sparks inflation. And that, of course, erodes everybody's balance sheet. It also makes our debt less expensive as well. But because we're so in debt, that drives up the interest rates. And again, it ends up being a death and debt spiral. So nobody can predict this.

But I mean, that's just the wishful thinking of people putting forward a policy, one big, beautiful bill that doesn't live up to its name, but actually exacerbates the problem.

But I mean, that's just the wishful thinking of people putting forward a policy, one big, beautiful bill that doesn't live up to its name, but actually exacerbates the problem.

So I tried to lay out the basic numbers. That's what I was talking about. You know, my pre-pandemic levels of spending, Clinton, if you use that process, go from 1.7 to 5.5 trillion. That's how you plus up that spending. Obama would be 6.2, Trump's 2019, 6.5. So now you've got a baseline budget.

So I tried to lay out the basic numbers. That's what I was talking about. You know, my pre-pandemic levels of spending, Clinton, if you use that process, go from 1.7 to 5.5 trillion. That's how you plus up that spending. Obama would be 6.2, Trump's 2019, 6.5. So now you've got a baseline budget.

You've always heard these Republican members of Congress running for office saying we're going to go to zero-based budgeting. They're not even willing to go to 5.5 to 6.5 level baseline of budget. Again, what is the process that just might work? Doge has kind of shown it to us. Line by line, you have to scrutinize all this. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of time.

You've always heard these Republican members of Congress running for office saying we're going to go to zero-based budgeting. They're not even willing to go to 5.5 to 6.5 level baseline of budget. Again, what is the process that just might work? Doge has kind of shown it to us. Line by line, you have to scrutinize all this. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of time.

And that's why I've always argued for a multiple approach here, multiple step. Provide the border funding. I would just extend current tax law. I mean, I would have voted for that if we had been smart enough to use current policy back then. We wouldn't be even having this conversation. Extend current tax law takes an automatic massive tax increase off the table.

And that's why I've always argued for a multiple approach here, multiple step. Provide the border funding. I would just extend current tax law. I mean, I would have voted for that if we had been smart enough to use current policy back then. We wouldn't be even having this conversation. Extend current tax law takes an automatic massive tax increase off the table.

Increase the debt ceiling enough for a year to keep pressure on the process to do the work. To go line by line, expose spending. I've got to believe, when you've gone from $4,400 billion to $7,000 billion worth of spending, if you start scrutinizing that line by line, there would literally be hundreds of billions of dollars that the public wouldn't even know were not spending.

Increase the debt ceiling enough for a year to keep pressure on the process to do the work. To go line by line, expose spending. I've got to believe, when you've gone from $4,400 billion to $7,000 billion worth of spending, if you start scrutinizing that line by line, there would literally be hundreds of billions of dollars that the public wouldn't even know were not spending.