Along with his colleague Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has long opposed the House’s recently passed domestic policy package. Among many reasons, he is concerned that it would blow a hole through the federal deficit. He made those comments on CNN’s “State of the Union.” In his own unique way, he vividly clarified the principle that the new House budget reconciliation process should be used to cut the deficit, not increase it.
During a busy day in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, April 3, 2025, Johnson observed a series of votes while rallying support among his GOP colleagues. He asserted that he has garnered enough backing within the party to challenge the domestic policy package, which narrowly passed the House last week. The senator’s opposition is aimed at stalling the package’s progress and pushing for modifications to its content.
Johnson emphasized the critical nature of fiscal responsibility, stating, “The first goal should be to reduce the deficit. This actually increases it.” His remarks underscore a palpable frustration among various subsets of the GOP about the long-term fiscal impacts of the bill.
In his very astute critique, Johnson voiced the sentiments of many in the GOP. In doing so, he cautioned that the legislation would lead to untenable levels of debt. In particular, he mirrored concerns expressed by his like-minded Republican senatorial colleague Rand Paul, who said, “They are going to blow up the debt. Even more importantly, this pushback serves to highlight a major rift within Congress over fiscal policy and budgetary priorities.
As negotiations over the still-evolving domestic policy package go on, Johnson’s work will be instrumental in determining their fate. He trumpets a simple, winning message — his laser focus on deficit reduction. His aim is to convince party members and the general public to back a return to sound fiscal management.