Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) appeared on Newsmax Tuesday to advocate for a comprehensive “forensic review” of federal spending, arguing that a detailed examination of government programs is essential to curb waste and address the nation’s escalating debt.
During his interview on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Johnson expressed alarm over the current trajectory of U.S. government expenditures. He asserted that without a program-by-program, line-by-line analysis, the country risks continuing unsustainable spending habits.
When pressed on the difficulty of reining in federal spending, Johnson pointed to the examples set by President Donald Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
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“The beauty is that President Trump and Elon Musk showed us how to do it. Contract by contract, line by line, program by program,” Johnson told host Rob Schmitt. “You realize there are over 2,600 programs in the federal government, over 2,000 lines of budget. If you look at it forensically, if you do the work, there have to be hundreds of billions of dollars. If you don’t spend it, nobody would even know other than the grifters who are sucking down that.”
Johnson highlighted the dramatic increase in federal spending in recent years. He noted that in 2019, the U.S. government spent $4.4 trillion, a figure projected to rise to over $7 trillion this year—a 58% increase.
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“What is inarguable is we had an unprecedented level of spending over the last six years,” Johnson stated. “We went from President Trump in his first three years averaging about $810 billion in deficit spending, then, of course, COVID, $3.1 trillion deficit, but we should have returned to at least less than a trillion dollars. Biden averaged $1.9 trillion in deficits, and that’s locked in now.”
Johnson’s call for a forensic review comes amidst growing concerns from conservative fiscal hawks in the Senate regarding proposed spending and tax legislation.
Some, including Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, have voiced opposition to the House-drafted bill due to its provision for a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase.
Senator Paul’s stance has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who warned of a potential national debt default if the bill is not passed.
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