A recent budget bill that is pivotal to President Donald Trump’s agenda has successfully passed through the U.S. House of Representatives, receiving backing from all six Republican Congressional members from Wisconsin.
However, as the legislation progresses to the Senate, Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has emerged as a leading critic of the bill.
Known as a fiscal hawk, Johnson has voiced significant concerns regarding the legislation, which Trump has described as the ‘big, beautiful bill.’ The bill focuses on immigration and tax policy and is projected by independent analysts to add trillions to the national deficit.
During a series of television appearances over the weekend, Johnson emphasized the need for substantial spending cuts to be included in the bill.
“You don’t defeat the deep state by funding it,” Johnson remarked on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’
He asserted that the primary focus of the budget reconciliation process should be to reduce the deficit, arguing that, rather than addressing this issue, the proposed bill actually exacerbates it.
Johnson’s criticism reflects a broader unrest among Republican Senators regarding the bill.
Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky has openly criticized the $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, while Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has expressed concerns about the potential cuts to Medicaid.
Johnson’s opposition is significant enough that it prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson to suggest that the entire project could be jeopardized.
“It’s the Senate and the House Republicans together that will deliver this ball over the goal line, so to speak,” Speaker Johnson stated during an interview with CBS News.
He urged Senate Republicans to make minimal modifications to the bill, stressing the need for a delicate balance within the party.
In a show of resolve, Sen. Ron Johnson stated that he believes he has enough support to halt the process until President Trump takes serious steps toward spending reductions and addressing the deficit.
During past engagements, including a recent state GOP Convention, Johnson has been vocal in his opposition.
He presented slides demonstrating how the tax policy changes would increase costs for the public, advocating for federal spending to revert to pre-pandemic levels.
“We’re mortgaging our children’s future. It is wrong. It is immoral. It has to stop,” Johnson declared.
He decried the ‘big, beautiful bill’ as not living up to its promise.
The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the bill could lead to a $3.8 trillion increase in the deficit over the next ten years.
Interestingly, Senator Johnson’s position has drawn an unexpected ally in Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.
Though they typically align with opposing parties, both senators have expressed opposition to the bill, albeit for differing reasons.
Baldwin and other Democrats argue that the proposed legislation will severely impact vital programs like Medicaid and food assistance, contending that it would result in tax cuts for the wealthy funded by cuts to support for the needy.
Speaking on WISN-TV, Baldwin expressed that she welcomes Johnson’s stance, stating, “Politics makes strange bedfellows, and if he’s a ‘no,’ I welcome that.”
She emphasized that her opposition stems from concerns that the cuts are excessive and have not been thoroughly vetted.
Baldwin particularly highlighted how the proposal could cripple low-income health insurance and Medicaid.
With new work requirements and the elimination of Affordable Care Act tax credits, an analysis indicates that over 228,000 Wisconsinites could lose their coverage, contributing to a national total of approximately 8.6 million.
“Donald Trump came into office promising to lower costs for families. Instead, Republicans are about to jack up the cost of health care for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, all so the wealthiest Americans can get richer,” Baldwin asserted in a statement.
She voiced that cuts to Medicaid would be devastating for numerous families in Wisconsin, declaring her intent to oppose Republican efforts to strip healthcare from Wisconsinites.
The legislation narrowly passed the House with a vote of just one margin, as two Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against it, two Republicans abstained, and one voted present.
It faces a similarly precarious path in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, indicating that as few as four defections from party lines could derail the bill.
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