July 13, 2021
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Sen. Johnson to Fox Business: Growing Government Reduces Freedom; What Made This Country Great Wasn’t Big Government
WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron. Johnson (R-Wis.) joined Fox Business’ “Kudlow” to discuss the Democrats’ out-of-control spending and the harmful effects of their economic agenda on the American people and the economy.
The full video can be found here, and excerpts are below.
On Congress’ spending proposals:
“You and I both know you don’t tax your way into prosperity. Growing government reduces freedom, and what made this country great wasn’t big government — it was freedom that allowed Americans to dream and aspire and build and create this marvel we call the American economy, and that’s what Democrats don’t understand. That is what most Republicans do understand.”
“We all support infrastructure and in normal times the discussion that they’re having might make an awful lot of sense, but these aren’t normal times. We’re $28 trillion in debt. We just basically passed $6 trillion of deficit spending. We’re seeing the warning signs of inflation screaming at us right now. What we should be doing is the $1.9 trillion Covid relief package — $700 billion of that isn’t even scheduled to be spent until 2022 and beyond. Take that $700 billion, repurpose that for $700 billion worth of infrastructure spending — you can have that deal overnight. I would actually support that because it would reduce a lot of harm from the $700 billion or more entitlement programs that is scheduled to further mortgage our kids future.”
“In order for us to support an increase or suspension of the debt ceiling, we have to pass some kind of fiscal control. I suggested the Preventing Government Shutdown Act. We’ve got Pat Toomey’s Full Faith and Credit Act; Rick Scott has a bill on the table. We should get something for further mortgaging our kids future. I’m afraid Democrats just couldn’t care less.”
On Democrats’ radical agenda:
“I’m reading reports that the Democrats will get their budget deal done yet this week. What I can say with the greatest deal of assurance is that what they will spend money on is more entitlements. Now, they may end in five years in the future, supposedly, on paper, so they can get a decent score, but Democrats realize that the government only ratchets in one direction — it goes up, and once you lay in a new entitlement, it’s almost impossible to remove it, so that’s the game they’re going to be playing. They’re going to try to be trying to pass as many new entitlements as possible. That’s what they did in the Covid relief bill. They’ll schedule them out for a couple years and then supposedly the program sunsets — they won’t sunset. They’ll be reauthorized and will continue to mortgage our kids future. That’s the game that the Democrats are playing right now. That’s the wool they’re going to try to pull over the American people’s eyes.”