House Speaker Mike Johnson went to battle with Senator Rand Paul over spending cuts and national debt on President Donald Trump's “Big Beautiful Building” this weekend.
Johnson commented when Paul appeared on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream after calling for spending cuts for the current version of the bill, “wimpy.”
“I think his biggest objection is the fact that we are extending our debt cap. That's very important. We have to do that. We're not going to get Democrats to support it,” Johnson said Sunday.
“To make it pass the Senate and not destroy the US economy and debt for the first time in history, it must be part of the settlement package. That's why President Trump and all other Republicans in Congress, the House and Senate understand the need for this,” he added.
Mike Johnson, Donald Trump wins “big” and beautiful” as budget passes through the house
House speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA. will speak at a press conference at the Capitol Building in Washington on May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)
Paul himself also appeared on “Fox News Sunday” later on the show, continuing to blow up what he said was a lack of real spending cuts.
GOP Hold-Out Sound Alarm as Trump's “Big, Beautiful Bill” passes the house vote
“I supported tax cuts in 2017. I support them permanently, so I support that part of the bill. I support spending cuts. I think the bill's cuts are bearish and anemia, but I still support despicable and anemia reduction. I'm talking about exploding $5 trillion in debt,” Paul said.
Senator Rand Paul, R-KY. is in the way of passing President Trump's “big, beautiful bill.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, Getty Images)
He went on to say there is no way to vote for a version of the bill that has raised the debt cap by $5 trillion.
“We need people in Washington to think that their debt is wrong and that their deficits are wrong and that they want to go in the opposite direction,” he said.
Paul instead suggested raising the debt cap for three months or $500 billion in procedure. By voting on the issue every three months, he argued that by placing the lack of the Center for Progressives in American politics, leadership forces them to take the issue seriously.
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“The deficit is a threat to our country. I think that's the biggest threat to national security, and I don't think you can do this,” Paul said.
