Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the One Big Beautiful Bill covering permanent tax cuts and spending reductions can't balance America's budget overnight.
"It's very difficult to now balance our budget in 10 years where the deficits are out of whack big time," he said on "National Report."
Hern placed part of the blame on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was passed during the administration of then-President Joe Biden in 2022.
"What we have to do, though, is the American people are tired of funding things that won't stand on their own," Hern said. "And what we've seen with the edicts from the IRA standing up industry, spending literally trillions of American taxpayer dollars, driving us some $7 trillion in new debts during the Biden administration on things that won't stand on their own."
Hern said the Senate has made fewer changes in the reconciliation bill this year compared to the last time Republicans had a crack at managing the process in 2017.
"In 2017 the tax bill that we're currently working under only had about 30% of the language from the House preserved by the Senate. So about 70% new" he said. "You contrast that to the estimates are 80 to 90% of the House language is being kept in the bill and only about 10 to 20% of the Senate coming back."
That means a lot less in the way of Senate revisions that the House will need to review and either approve or change, Hern said.
"So that's important to note," he said. "That means we're not very far off."
The House set debate and a vote for Wednesday for President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill. The bill passed the Republican-led Senate on Tuesday, 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie.
Hern said there's only one absolute Republican "no" vote on the legislation in the House, and that will be from Rep. Tomas Massie, R-Ky. The libertarian-leaning Massie voted against the legislation in May, joining all Democrats in opposition. That drew the ire of Trump, who called Massie a "loser."
Hern is predicting that the legislation will be completed in Congress and ready for Trump's signature by the Fourth of July holiday.
"We're going to celebrate a big Independence Day for all Americans, regardless of party," Hern said.
The One Big Beautiful Bill encompasses making the Trump tax cuts from 2017 permanent, along with enforcing spending reductions in some government departments. Senate Republican leaders were predicting on Tuesday that the bill would be approved and then sent back to the House for agreement on the Senate revisions.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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