Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is taking direct aim at the old guard of his own party — and he’s not pulling punches. Frustrated by mounting pressure from the White House to support a sweeping new budget deal, Johnson tore into the Trump-backed plan and those behind it.
Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box Wednesday, the Wisconsin senator slammed what Trump has called his “Big Beautiful Bill,” denouncing it as “grotesque” and “immoral.” He specifically called out the older generation of political leaders — including Trump — for pushing a spending plan he views as reckless and dangerous for the country’s future.
“This is immoral what old farts are doing to our young people,” Johnson said bluntly. “This is grotesque what we’re doing. We need to own up to that.”
The budget bill, heavily promoted by Trump and GOP leadership, has drawn backlash from fiscal conservatives like Johnson and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who argue it will drive the national debt even higher. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed their concerns Tuesday, calling them “blatantly wrong.”
Johnson fired back the next morning, making it clear he’s not backing down — and won’t be bullied into voting for a bill he doesn’t believe in.
“They all say, ‘Oh, we can pressure these guys.’ No, you can’t,” Johnson said. “We’re serious about this. They need to take us seriously. Don’t insult us! Work with us!”
He also took aim at the process behind the bill, saying lawmakers ignored the math and pushed forward without any real debate on spending cuts.
“They can’t dispute the numbers,” Johnson said. “Again, we didn’t talk about numbers in the House process. If the White House just comes and starts insulting us, I’m sorry, I got the numbers to back myself up.”
Johnson wants the legislation split into two parts — one for immediate needs, another to tackle long-term fiscal issues — and says he won’t vote for it unless real changes are made.
“I can’t accept this scenario,” he said. “So I won’t vote for it unless we are serious about fixing it.”
Watch the clip below, via CNBC.
Sen. Ron Johnson on the "Big, Beautiful Bill": "We're serious about this. They need to take us seriously. Don't insult us, work with us. This is immoral what us old farts are doing to our young people. This is grotesque. I can't accept this scenario. I won't vote for it." pic.twitter.com/kcqd9Yzfl9
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