Contact: Ben Voelkel
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced Wednesday that he plans to force a reading of the full $1.9 trillion bill once it is formally proposed by Democrats. In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Johnson outlined his concerns about the runaway costs of the bill and put its price tag into some context.
Below is an excerpt from his speech and a video of the full speech can be found here. Graphics used by Sen. Johnson to illustrate the cost of the bill can be found here and here.
“These are astonishing sums that we’re talking about and the majority party here wants to jam this through, through a reconciliation process, no consultation with our side. Just blow it through here, twenty hours of debate, a voterama, pass $1.9 trillion in spending, and go home. Having no consideration whatsoever of that fact that we are mortgaging our children’s future. At some point and time there will be a day of reckoning, a debt crisis, and it won’t be pretty.
“My suggestion: At least, while we’re considering this, let’s have a debate. Let’s have a discussion. Let’s consider the amendments. Let’s not do this in 20, 24, 30 hours. Let’s take the time to seriously consider what we are doing to our children.”
