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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., started his Wednesday at the WisPolitics D.C. Breakfast where he discussed everything from the federal budget to the first several weeks of the Trump administration.
Tariffs were a big talker, which probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise as President Donald Trump ratchets up the pressure on some countries.
During the event, Johnson expressed concern and said he hasn’t hidden the fact that he is worried about the impact of the ongoing trade war on Wisconsin — from dairy to manufacturing.
With Wisconsin neighboring Canada, Johnson also said it is “not a good state of affairs” when Canadians boo the national anthem of the United States.
“I just think he needs to do a better job of explaining exactly how each country is engaged in unfair trade practices, whether there are tariff or non-tariff barriers to our products, and I think most Americans, I would, basically support reciprocal treatment primarily with the goal of bringing down tariffs to nothing,” Sen. Johnson said of how Trump has handled tariffs. “Eliminating trade barriers so we really have free trade. I mean free trade makes sense.”
Johnson went on to praise the impact of tariffs on Mexico as it relates to border security and said he understands why other countries do want some trade protections, such as for agriculture, so they can grow their own food and be self-sustaining.
However, when it comes to the U.S. offshoring manufacturing, Johnson said his biggest concern is about goods that are vital for national security.
With the House having passed legislation Tuesday to avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies afloat through September, Johnson was also vocal about the deficit.
Using an all-due-respect approach of sorts, Johnson said the spending reductions the House has pursued are “a joke.”
“$1.5 trillion over 10 years? That’s $150 billion a year. That takes it from $7.3 trillion to, at most, $7.1 trillion. What I’m saying, at most, we should be looking at $6.5 trillion,” Johnson explained. “Basically, spending what we did in 2019, plus population and inflation. Again, there’s no justification [for] spending more than that when you’re running $2 trillion a year deficits.”
Bipartisan support will be needed to get the latest spending bill across the finish line. At least eight Senate Democrats must back the bill to get it to Trump’s desk.
