Senate Republicans Abandon Years Of “Concerns” About The Debt And Deficit To Push A Tax Giveaway To The Wealthy

This bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit” and “burden America[‘s] citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.” – Elon Musk, 6/3/2025

The Republican tax plan would add trillions to the national debt – yet after years of Republicans decrying that the debt and deficit are the most urgent crises faced by our nation, for our national security and our children’s future, they voted to balloon it. And they will keep advancing this egregious, costly bill all to give tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans and big corporations. Maybe Senate Republicans will listen to Elon Musk and their past selves on the importance of this issue:

Senator John Thune (R-SD): “We need to start tackling this debt, and we need to start doing it now.” [The Hill, 9/21/10]

Then-Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “The transcendent issue of our era, which is deficit and debt. Until we fix that problem, we can’t fix America.” [Press Conference, 1/22/13]

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY): “People continue to be very concerned and anxious about the debt and realizing, not for them, but for their kids and grandkids to the chance for freedom and opportunity has lessened as the debt continues to rise.” [Press Conference, 1/22/13]

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “Economic policy, and national security are now indispensable… If we don't get our debt in order, we’re less safe.” [Committee Hearing, 1/16/25]

Then-Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-TX): “The national debt poses a significant economic risk. It also imposes significant security risks.” [Floor Remarks, 4/26/23]

Then-Representative Jim Banks (R-IN): “Deficits will soon top $1 trillion and grow to nearly $2 trillion over the next decade. My constituents back home in northeast Indiana see this reckless spending and ever-growing national debt, and they ask me every time I go home, are you serious?” [Floor Remarks, 6/27/19]

Then-Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): “I look at my grandsons, and I see this as a generational issue and a moral issue. Is it right to be passing this debt on to them? And the answer is no.” [Fox Business, 3/19/18]

Senator John Boozman (R-AR): “With a twenty trillion-dollar debt, five, six hundred-billion-dollar deficit every year adding to that debt, I think that’s something that we simply have to get under control.” [Talk Business & Politics, 8/6/17]

Senator Katie Britt (R-AL): “It’s clear that if we don’t change our dire financial trajectory, it will make the American Dream unattainable for our children and our children’s children.” [Press Release, 6/2/23]

Senator Ted Budd (R-NC): “Our country’s national debt is unsustainable and unacceptable.” [Press Release, 2/10/23]

Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV): “We are burdening our younger generation with this debt.” [NewsNation, 6/1/23]

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA): “If we’re going to extend present policy as current baseline, just to go into procedures, I want to pay for that. Figure out how to pay for it. It’s really good to make things permanent, but you got to be able to live within your means … If we don’t live within our means, we’re going to destroy the American dream. The American dream will become a nightmare of expensive rates that are too high.” [CNBC Squawk Box, 4/1/25]

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME): “‘Our national debt now stands at an almost incomprehensible $16.4 trillion” … “The tab for every man, woman and child tops $52,000, and is our legacy for future generations.” [Bangor Daily News, 2/19/13]

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR): “I pledged throughout my campaign to confront America’s debt crisis.” [Arkansas News, 1/4/13]

Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND): “We need to do the hard work of balancing our federal budget, getting our national debt under control, and reducing bureaucracy.” [Twitter, 11/14/24]

Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID): “There is no question that our nation’s burgeoning debt crisis continues to place a strain on the economy and the country’s fiscal future.” [Press Release, 1/20/15]

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX): “Debt is out of control. And, it is jeopardizing future for our kids. I have got two little kids, who are 4 and 2. And, the idea of handing them a $16 trillion debt, I think is immoral. And, unfortunately, this is a man who doesn’t seem to know where jobs come from.” [Fox News, 2/12/13]

Senator John Curtis (R-UT): “Our federal debt has soared past $36 trillion, a figure so large it seems almost abstract. But the consequences of this debt are not abstract. They threaten our national security, economic stability and long-term prosperity.” [Deseret News, 2/22/25]

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT): “Strapping our future generations with loads of debt is irresponsible, it’s dangerous, it is a threat to our national security.” [Press Release, 3/7/23]

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA): “Democrats in Washington are playing a high stakes game with our nation’s finances. Congress just keeps passing bill after bill that adds trillions of dollars in spending to Washington’s credit card … You might think the reckless spending spree would have come to a stop after reaching the nation’s debt limit in July. Wrong. Democrats are now plotting to suspend the debt limit in order to pass what would be the most expensive bill ever approved by Congress. This reckless borrowing and spending is driving up the prices of every day goods and services as well as our national debt.” [Floor Remarks, 9/22/21]

Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE): “Our national debt is out of control and now stands at over $18 trillion.” [Weekly Column, 2/9/15]

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “We can’t continue to live high on the hog at the expense of future generations. To put our current national debt in perspective, a gross federal debt of $31.5 trillion equates to $95,000 for each man, woman, and child living in the United States today … We owe it to the nation’s young people to leave them a country that is on solid financial ground. We cannot ask the generation of tomorrow to pay for the gluttony of today” [Floor Remarks, 5/2/23]

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN): “For those of us that have children and grandchildren, it’s our obligation to be thinking about their future.” [Bloomberg, 12/15/21]

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO): “This bill right here would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit, and the worst part is, it is all for Dem priorities.” [The Hill, 12/19/24]

Senator John Hoeven (R-ND): “This notion of just adding it to the debt. I mean, now we’re north of $30 trillion. What’s another trillion I guess is their view. You won’t have to worry about it. You do worry about it … We’ve got to stop this spending and get this deficit under control. That not only is something we face, but it’s so important for future generations.” [Fox News, 4/30/22]

Then-Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted (R-OH): “The national debt recently hit a new record high of $35 trillion, and it’s only going to keep growing. Many past predictions of a debt crisis haven’t come to pass. But the United States is now in unprecedented territory for any government, ever, and financial markets have begun flinching at all the debt the US Treasury is issuing. Some analysts think the debt crisis has already begun.” [Twitter, 8/8/24]

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MO): “Let’s face facts. Our national debt is unsustainable and only getting worse.” [Press Release, 2/13/24]

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI): “Admiral Mike Mullen, back in the 2010-2011 timeframe, said the greatest threat to our national security is our debt and deficit. That's when our debt was at $14 trillion. Now, it exceeds $32 trillion.” [Fox News, 3/26/23]

Senator Jim Justice (R-WV): “For years, Washington has spent more time and effort finding new ways to spend money we don’t have instead of buckling down and doing what we must do in order to whittle down our national debt.” [The Intelligencer, 2/15/25]

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA): “We borrow a million a minute – 1.4 billion a day.  If I thought for a second that this bill is going to add to the deficit, I wouldn’t vote for it.” [MSNBC, 11/28/17]

Senator James Lankford (R-OK): “I’m actually not comfortable with increasing the debt. This is something that’s been a behind-the-scenes conversation for a long time. It’s one thing to be able to cut taxes, it’s another thing to be able to say, ‘how are going to deal with our debt and deficit?’” [NBC Meet the Press, 11/5/17]

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT): “The greatest threat to our national security is our debt and our deficit. I can't vote for a bill that I fundamentally disagree with.” [Fox News, 12/13/13]

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY): “When I first entered Congress in 2008, our national debt was just over $10 trillion. Now we’re at $34 trillion. This is not sustainable. In just 15 years, our national debt has more than tripled. Our debt is the greatest threat our country faces today. Not China. Not Russia.” [Floor Remarks, 3/27/24]

Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS): “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road. What are we going to do about our national debt long term? This is the greatest threat to our national security, as well as our economy. So, we need long-term solutions.” [Fox Business, 6/2/23]

Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA): “U.S. national debt is now over 120% of our GDP… let's not lose sight of the very real human cost of the decisions made by people sitting in this room.” [Committee Hearing, 2/11/25]

Then-Senator-Designate Ashley Moody (R-FL): “As Florida’s next U.S. Senator, I will work tirelessly to reduce the bloat of Washington and speak out loudly against government spending… this country needs to cut spending and get fiscally responsible. I look forward to working with DOGE, and I will work hard to leave the next generation of our country on a much stronger financial footing.” [Twitter, 1/16/25]

Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS): “Without a serious plan and subsequent action to reduce our debt, this perpetual fiscal irresponsibility will jeopardize the American dream, threatening our children’s and grandchildren’s futures, as well as our nation’s ability to defend itself against global threats.” [Press Release, 2/26/19]

Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH): “Do you think $2 trillion a year in deficits—paying $1 trillion in interest is a sustainable path?... Who pays the price for this ineptitude?” [Committee Hearing, 4/7/25]

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): “A national security risk we have right now is our national debt.” [NBC News, 2/23/25]

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “We shouldn’t unnecessarily burden our children and grandchildren with unnecessary debt.” [Press Release, 3/13/21]

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY): “The number one threat to our country’s future is our debt. The number one threat to our national security is our debt.” [Floor Remarks, 10/30/15]

Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE): “Our $36 trillion national debt is our greatest domestic threat.” [Statement, 3/6/25]

Senator Jim Risch (R-ID): “America has faced many major crises during its 235 years of existence, but none as dangerous as the spiraling debt now confronting us.” [Editorial, 4/1/11]

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD): “High debt threatens economic growth by driving up interest rates and discouraging businesses and individuals from investing back into the economy. We literally cannot afford to wait any longer to take steps to get our debt under control…. Delaying action and looking the other way is not an option.” [Press Release, 2/26/19]

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO): “The US pays more on interest on the national debt than we do on our military. This is not sustainable.” [Twitter, 10/16/23]

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL): “We raised the debt ceiling this summer for a year and a half and almost no conversation about it. Trillion-dollar deficits. Twenty-three trillion dollars’ worth of debt. Look at what the Federal Reserve is doing by buying up all the treasuries and all the government-backed bonds. There’s a day of reckoning, and the reckoning might not happen for us if it’s clearly going to happen for our kids, they’re going to have to pay for this. Who does that to their kids?” [Fox News, 12/18/19]

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC): “We must stop saddling our kids and grandkids with more and more debt, and instead take steps to grow their opportunities. Though the constant gridlock may make it appear to be, finding solutions is not rocket science.” [Press Release, 10/16/13]

Then-Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy (R-MT): “$35 TRILLION IN DEBT!! Career politicians on both sides are to blame, and if they can’t balance the budget, they shouldn’t get paid. We need political outsiders who can't be bought to rein in reckless spending and put AMERICA FIRST.” [Twitter, 7/29/24]

Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK): “Our national debt of over $36 trillion has reached dangerous, unsustainable levels… we have to root out wasteful spending, more responsibly spend the American people’s hard-earned dollars, and have a federal government that finally starts to live within its means. Otherwise, we’ll just be passing this mess onto our kids and grandkids. It is now a very significant threat.” [Address, 3/20/25]

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC): “The federal debt now amounts to well over $30 trillion and, as interest rates continue to rise, so too does the cost for the federal government to borrow. Congress must halt its dangerous reliance on deficit spending and instead enact economically-sustainable fiscal policies for the American people.” [Press Release, 2/10/23]

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL): “We already have a $34 trillion debt. That’s nearly $102,000 for every American, twice the average annual wage in Alabama. We’re borrowing $80,000 per second … This is completely unsustainable.” [Twitter, 3/14/24]

Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS): “If we fail to act, our children and grandchildren will be left to pay our national debt.  I will continue to work with my colleagues to address our unsustainable deficit.” [Press Release, 3/10/11]

Senator Todd Young (R-IN): “We can’t afford to continue to grow the national debt at this pace.” [Press Release, 8/8/21]

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