Posted on 05/25/2025 11:14:03 AM PDT by RandFan
House Speaker Mike Johnson went to battle with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., over spending cuts and the national debt in President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" this weekend.
Johnson made the comments during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with host Shannon Bream, after Paul had called the spending cuts in the current version of the bill "wimpy."
"It sounds like his biggest objection is the fact that we are extending the debt ceiling. That's a critically important thing to do. We have to do it. We're not going to get any Democrats to assist on that," Johnson said Sunday.
"So to get it through the Senate and make sure we don't crash the U.S. economy and default on our debts for the first time in history, it has to be part of the reconciliation package. And that's why President Trump and all the other Republicans in Congress, House and Senate understand the necessity of this," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This is CLOSE Freepers. It may need Fetterman or Vance to pass unless I'm mistaken....
The problem with cuts is whose ox gets gored. Every dollar has a constituent. The weakest and probably most deserving is always the loser. There’s probably more than a bit of ego at stake.
We’re not going to get any Democrats to assist on that.
So much for close
Spending cuts will not do it. period. Congress could cut discretionary spending to ZERO. Close everything, fire everybody that it is possible to fire. including every person in every department including the military. Debt would still go up. We only have 3 options. 1) Grow our way out of it, and I mean MASSIVE growth. 2) cut Medicare and Social Security 3) go bankrupt. thats it. congress put us in a position that congress cannot get itself out of. period. mic drop.
Neither one of them is wrong. The problem as I see it is that Rand Paul is looking for a bill that could never pass in the House as it is constitutes today.
We spend 1.36 for every doll we collect. cut everything to zero and we still spend 1.10. spending cannot fix it. its just math.
dollar
It would be ironic for him to say this and it was Fetterman’s vote that made a difference
And that is a distinct possibility
They always find enough votes.
You can forget counting on Fetterman. He will vote with the rats unless his vote doesn’t matter.
Who are you rooting for? House or Senate?
.....
For both to be drained and for MAGA to win the war against the Swamp and Deep State in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches...
Raising the debt ceiling is a tactical move to sideline the Democrats. Historically, the Democrats used the "crisis" of the debt ceiling to force Democrat agenda items into "must pass" bills. House Republicans are taking that weapon off of the table preventitatively so Democrats can't slow things down later as the debt limit would have approached.
Unfortunately, we have some Republicans who also like the theat of a government shutdown to get their pet items, too. That's what we have to watch out for now, those Republicans who know what addressing the debt ceiling now does for their leverage later.
-PJ
The Senate should reduce the deficit more by carving out another $200 Billion in deficit spending, cut the SALT deduction increase to 100% ($20K), then kick it back to the House. The Blue State Republicans will still be able to point to a big victory for their constituents with out making the deficit too much worse, which the $40k SALT deduction would do.
It’s pretty sad to think that the economy is so addicted to deficit spending that living within our means will plunge us in a deep recession. It has to be done at some point. If the Republicans can grow to a comfortable majority in the mid-terms hopefully they’ll use that opportunity to do the right thing (but I’m not holding my breath).
just pass the fricking bill. You can bet it’s a lot better than any dem led bill even if it spends more than we like.
He’s a wildcard. He admitted in an interview he could cross the floor
The other is Vance breaking a tie...
He admitted in an interview he could cross the floor“
Fetterman won’t if his vote is decisive. He only goes against the rats if his vote does not affect the outcome.
Number matter if not futile
OK well either way it’s close
49/50 something like this
It ain’t passing in the senate. It shouldn’t have passed the House. They keep spending $$$$$$
You dont think so?
I have it too close to call it all depends
It should be a good debate in the Senate.
What Paul and Johnson are looking for would never pass in the Senate either.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.