Senator Ron Johnson

I just think they are overwhelmed. I mean, you see all the activity and this just hasn't hit his radar yet. It's going to hit his radar here this next the next few weeks. So, again, he liked the concept, the slogan of one beautiful bill. I don't think he was overly concerned or understanding what the details were. I'm going to force him to take a look at the details.

I just think they are overwhelmed. I mean, you see all the activity and this just hasn't hit his radar yet. It's going to hit his radar here this next the next few weeks. So, again, he liked the concept, the slogan of one beautiful bill. I don't think he was overly concerned or understanding what the details were. I'm going to force him to take a look at the details.

I'm going to force the discussion on spending.

I'm going to force the discussion on spending.

So we've been in finance committee. We've been working on these things. But again, it's all about scores, right? I've got to point this out. You hear these scores, right? But they're divorced from, they're not tied to anything. It's like, okay, I got a score of 65. Well, good. I mean, it's good if you're golfing. It's awful if you're bowling. So you get all these scores.

So we've been in finance committee. We've been working on these things. But again, it's all about scores, right? I've got to point this out. You hear these scores, right? But they're divorced from, they're not tied to anything. It's like, okay, I got a score of 65. Well, good. I mean, it's good if you're golfing. It's awful if you're bowling. So you get all these scores.

They're divorced from reality. So again, the process is complete chaos. It's by and large a charade, okay? Somebody else is going to write this thing, and it's going to be shoved down people's throats. So what I intend to do is I intend to open it up and bring this to the light of day. I've been doing this since January 1st, writing about –

They're divorced from reality. So again, the process is complete chaos. It's by and large a charade, okay? Somebody else is going to write this thing, and it's going to be shoved down people's throats. So what I intend to do is I intend to open it up and bring this to the light of day. I've been doing this since January 1st, writing about –

giving three pre-pandemic levels, three options on pre-pandemic levels of spending. Next column, here's the process, a line by line, deep dive, forensic audit. I'd love to take the Doge team right now and just bring them over. Let's focus on this. Let's spend months doing this, but we'll need time. We'll need a two-step process.

giving three pre-pandemic levels, three options on pre-pandemic levels of spending. Next column, here's the process, a line by line, deep dive, forensic audit. I'd love to take the Doge team right now and just bring them over. Let's focus on this. Let's spend months doing this, but we'll need time. We'll need a two-step process.

And then literally my last column just kind of put it all together, the big numbers, and this is why you have to do it. But again, you were following the debate in the House. Did you ever hear $2.2 trillion average deficit being projected, $22 trillion, $59 trillion in debt? Nobody. It's just $1.5 trillion. Oh, that's a lot. It's almost meaningless. It's a rounding error.

And then literally my last column just kind of put it all together, the big numbers, and this is why you have to do it. But again, you were following the debate in the House. Did you ever hear $2.2 trillion average deficit being projected, $22 trillion, $59 trillion in debt? Nobody. It's just $1.5 trillion. Oh, that's a lot. It's almost meaningless. It's a rounding error.

So I'm going to force this debate. That's why I'm on your show here today. That's why I'm going to be doing Jake Tapper tomorrow. I'm going to bring the numbers to the fore.

So I'm going to force this debate. That's why I'm on your show here today. That's why I'm going to be doing Jake Tapper tomorrow. I'm going to bring the numbers to the fore.

I've been pretty upfront. The first goal of this Republican budget reconciliation should be don't add to the deficit. That ought to be the first goal. Beyond that, what I've always said is I want a commitment to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level spending and a process to achieve and maintain it. I'm reasonably open. I recognize we have to get the votes. So I don't have a hard number.

I've been pretty upfront. The first goal of this Republican budget reconciliation should be don't add to the deficit. That ought to be the first goal. Beyond that, what I've always said is I want a commitment to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level spending and a process to achieve and maintain it. I'm reasonably open. I recognize we have to get the votes. So I don't have a hard number.

But what I've done is I've laid out these options. And right now, the hard number accepted by and expected by a lot of senators, enough to not pass this until we achieve it, is $6.5 trillion in spending in 2026. And I can walk through how you get to that point. But that's kind of the number right now. We're expected to spend about seven point three trillion next year.

But what I've done is I've laid out these options. And right now, the hard number accepted by and expected by a lot of senators, enough to not pass this until we achieve it, is $6.5 trillion in spending in 2026. And I can walk through how you get to that point. But that's kind of the number right now. We're expected to spend about seven point three trillion next year.

So that implies about eight hundred eight trillion dollars in deficit reduction rather than one point five trillion that the House has in their meager house reconciliation bill.

So that implies about eight hundred eight trillion dollars in deficit reduction rather than one point five trillion that the House has in their meager house reconciliation bill.