Senator Ron Johnson is sounding the alarm on what he calls the “One Big Beautiful Bill” now being negotiated in Congress, criticizing it as a bloated package that fails to seriously address America’s mounting debt.
“It’s essential that Congress deviate from its current path,” Johnson warned, pointing to a 58% surge in federal spending since 2019. That year, the government spent $4.45 trillion—20.6% of GDP. This year, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects spending to hit $7.03 trillion, or 23.3% of GDP.
“Other than during World War II, the increase in spending we’ve experienced over the past six years is unprecedented,” he said, referencing post-war efforts under President Truman to quickly return spending to normal levels.
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Despite the end of pandemic lockdowns, Johnson argues there’s “nothing now to justify this abnormal level of government spending.” Congress, he says, is struggling to cut even $1.5 trillion from the CBO’s projected $89.3 trillion in outlays over the next decade—a mere 1.68% reduction.
Johnson contrasts today’s spending habits with historical fiscal responsibility. In 1930, federal outlays were just 3.5% of GDP. “That was the foundational premise of America and the 10th Amendment,” he said, “a limited federal government with most governing occurring close to the governed.”
While he acknowledges that returning to a truly limited government may no longer be realistic, Johnson argues it’s still feasible to roll spending back to pre-pandemic levels. Doing so would save $8.4 trillion over 10 years—far more than what the current plan proposes.
Without a serious course correction, Johnson warns, the national debt will explode. The CBO projects debt to rise from $37 trillion today to $59 trillion by 2035—134% of GDP—even while assuming automatic tax increases in 2026. If those tax hikes are rolled back and spending is increased further, the situation could worsen.
Johnson is especially critical of Republicans for appearing ready to spend at levels set by President Biden, which he says led to the inflation that cost Democrats politically. “I doubt Mr. Trump’s voters expect us to continue spending at President Biden’s levels,” he said. “I can’t imagine that they want Republicans to increase annual deficits.”
Instead of passing the current bill, Johnson is urging a phased approach. First, pass a bill based on the Senate’s original budget resolution that would fund border security and defense while cutting $850 billion. Next, extend the 2017 tax law to prevent the looming tax hike, paired with a smaller debt ceiling increase to maintain pressure for more cuts.
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That approach, he said, “would give us the time to simplify and rationalize the tax code, and go line by line through the entire federal budget to uncover, expose, and eliminate the hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“If we don’t,” Johnson warned, “America is headed off a cliff.”