Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Monday that he won't support President Donald Trump's first significant piece of legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, unless it undergoes substantial changes, raising concerns about spending levels and long-term fiscal impact.
"Without substantial changes, I won't vote for this bill," Johnson said on "Finnerty." "But I'm hopeful that we'll have enough good changes in here and make sure that this is a multi-step process because we're not going to get the kind of spending restraint in this first bill."
Johnson's comments come as Republicans seek to rally support around a sweeping tax and spending proposal, a key component of Trump's early agenda. But Johnson, a fiscal hawk, warned that the legislation does not do enough to rein in federal spending.
"We need a process to achieve and maintain a pre-pandemic level of spending," he said. "Passing one big bill by deadlines is not the way to do it."
Johnson said he had discussed his concerns directly with Trump. "He's urging me to get behind the bill," Johnson said. "And I urged him to let's take a look at the detail. Let me work with [National Economic Council Director] Kevin Hassett and [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent. Let's look at the numbers because I think that was missing from the House debate."
Despite Trump's push, Johnson, vacillating, said his vote is not guaranteed.
"I can't predict that right now," he told host Rob Finnerty, adding that any vote in favor would depend on how the bill evolves through negotiations.
Pressed on whether he would vote against the bill if it included certain middle-class tax cuts, Johnson was clear.
"Tax cuts do not promote growth. They just rob the federal government of revenue," he said. "Again, I don't want to fund the deep state either. But we've got to get serious about reducing these deficits."
Johnson argued that the proposed spending cuts in the bill were inadequate and delayed.
"The spending cut is pretty meager," he said. "And it's so much in the out years, too. So we spend more early on the border and defense, and the savings come out in the out years when you have a new administration."
House Republicans argue the legislation would reduce the deficit more than any recent measure, but Johnson remains skeptical.
"We're going to extend current tax law, which I agree with," he said. "So that's removing about $3.7 trillion that is going to have to be replaced by growth. That's always uncertain."
Asked if he would remove the proposed new tax cuts from the bill, Johnson said, "I wouldn't mind leaving that for later negotiation to keep pressure on reducing spending."
Still, Johnson left the door open to working with the administration.
"I'll work with the president. Happy to work with him and his economic team," he said. "This isn't about opposing President Trump. We want him to succeed. But we're concerned about mortgaging our kids' future."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.