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Ron Johnson: “The Budget act didn't work. Simpson Bowles didn't work. The…”

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

Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs

Published May 14, 2025 | Video Starts at 03:57

The authorizing committees were the big spenders. So they established appropriation committees to control them. Well, how long that last? Maybe half. I don't know. It didn't work. Okay, but The Budget act didn't work. Simpson Bowles didn't work. The Budget Control act didn't work. So what I'm suggesting is take a look at what we're seeing with Elon Musk and Doge. They're showing us how to do it. You'll get in there. (03:57–03:59)

CLAIM

Asserts that the Budget Act, Simpson-Bowles, and the Budget Control Act failed to control spending.

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

“We went from 4.4 trillion in 2019 prior to the pandemic, up to 7 trillion.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 01:38-01:44
“In 2019, [federal spending was] 20.6% [of GDP].”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 01:40-01:42
“We're going to be cutting less than 1.3% of the $89.3 trillion we'll spend over the next 10 years.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 02:18-02:26
“Federal government spending was 11.7% of GDP [prior to World War II].”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 05:49-05:55
“We hit 41% [of GDP] in the height of the war.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 05:57-06:01
“By 1948, we were down to 11.4% spending of GDP.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 06:11-06:17
“Virtually every American that paid tax in 2017, 2018, got a tax cut.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 08:41-08:46
“President Trump is announcing, I think it's up to $10 trillion in investment commitment.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 16:38-16:43
“We don't make the precious cursor chemicals. We don't supply the active pharmaceutical ingredients to most of the drugs in America.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 18:37-18:43
“We have enormous drug shortage of just basic things like heparin.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 18:43-18:48
“Our population is growing less than 3%.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 01:46-01:49
“We're $37 trillion in debt.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 02:34-02:37
“CBO will be about 59 to 60 trillion dollars in 2035.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 02:36-02:42
“We've never had a process in America to control federal government spending.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 03:28-03:33
“When you're $37 trillion in debt, there's no room, there's no justification for Spending above and beyond what you were spending one year…”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 09:21-09:31
“The only leverage we have, and I know President Trump hates it, but I love it because it's the only control we have over spending is that…”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 10:22-10:32
“Tariffs are a tax. Somebody's going to pay them, either the foreign country, the foreign company, or American consumers.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 10:59-11:07
“We've secured the border. We are deporting the criminals, the members of dangerous gangs, the human sex and drug traffickers.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 12:31-12:44
“I hope he achieves what I think is truly his objective, which is free and fair trade.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 13:47-13:53
“We do not produce certain products in America and we need to figure out how to bring those back.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 14:25-14:30
“I don't think the CHIP act worked particularly well.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 14:32-14:35
“We're vulnerable in pharmaceuticals.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 14:55-14:57
“Investment is on hold.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 16:58-17:00
“High end semiconductors, when you take a look at the world we live in today, you need the most advanced high end semiconductors.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 18:54-19:03
“The island nation of Taiwan [is] threatened by China all the time.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 19:06-19:10
“I primarily blame American businesses for being short sighted.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 19:11-19:15
“I would vote against [the CHIPS act funding].”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 19:44-19:45
“We need to bring these things back.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 20:21-20:23
“We need to reduce spending to a reasonable pre-pandemic level.”
Discussion with Senator Ron Johnson on American Spending, Trade, and Tariffs | Uploaded May 14, 2025 | 22:19-22:26