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Ron Johnson: “Go back to a pre pandemic level. Spending.”

Featuring: Ron Johnson, Republican | U.S. Senate, Wisconsin

WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget'

Published March 12, 2026 | Video Starts at 08:18

By the end of the decade, you're still at $1.4 trillion. Here's my solution that I recommended, starting with the column in the Wall Street Journal January 1st of last year. Go back to a pre pandemic level. Spending. I chose three different options. Bill Clinton in 1998, Barack Obama 2014, President Trump 2019. You take their actual total outlays. You exempt Social Security, Medicare and interest. (08:18)

CLAIM

Advocates for returning to pre-pandemic spending levels.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ron Johnson

“When [I] entered Congress, our nation's total debt was $14.7 trillion and 96% of GDP. Soon it will hit and surpass 39 trillion and 124% of…”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 00:35-00:48
“We passed the $5 trillion debt level in 1996, 10 trillion in 2008, 15 trillion in 2012, 25 trillion 2020, and we'll probably pass 40…”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 02:32-02:49
“We've only been under 3% of GDP with our deficits seven times in those 24 years.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 03:29-03:36
“This year we'll spend about $7.4 trillion, which is 67% higher than 2019.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 05:27-05:35
“Costs at least $400 billion to comply with [the tax code].”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 10:07-10:11
“Within 10 years, it will almost certainly exceed $60 trillion and 134% of GDP.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 00:47-00:54
“At 1.8% growth, we never really go below 6% [deficit as a percentage of GDP].”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 03:47-03:52
“You literally have to have 4% growth over the next decade for us to dip below 3% in the last three years of this decade.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 03:57-04:06
“On average we collect about 17.1% of GDP [in revenue].”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 04:32-04:40
“According to the CBO, in the next 10 years, this is the most recent numbers, we'll incur $24.4 trillion of deficits over the next 10 years.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 06:29-06:40
“The estimate is $24 trillion, $7 trillion higher.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 07:04-07:09
“When the Democrats have the exact same opportunity to use reconciliation, they could have increased taxes.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 07:23-07:29
“We didn't want to increase taxes. We understand how economically harmful that is.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 07:35-07:40
“If you have 3% growth, notice it doesn't bend the deficit curve down.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 07:49-07:55
“This is 4% growth. Now we're finally bending the deficit curve down.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 08:00-08:05
“By the end of the decade, you're still at $1.4 trillion.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 08:06-08:10
“If we were to do that, go back to Clinton in 98, we'd be spending $5.9 trillion this year and that's $1.5 trillion less.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 08:42-08:52
“That's a $15 trillion savings over 10 years.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 08:51-08:55
“If Clinton's too aggressive for you, go back to Obama. Be $6.6 trillion. That's $800 billion less than we're going to spend this year.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 08:56-09:05
“That's $8 trillion over 10 years.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 09:04-09:07
“Just go back to prior to the pandemic under Trump. 6.9 trillion. That saves us a half a trillion in one year, 5 trillion over 10.”
WATCH: Ron Johnson Explains To Congress 'How To Balance The Federal Budget' | Uploaded March 12, 2026 | 09:06-09:15