• Republican Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul voice serious concerns about Trump’s proposed budget bill.
• The legislation, set to increase the federal debt ceiling, faces potential backlash from within the GOP.
• Johnson emphasizes the need for deeper spending cuts to restore fiscal responsibility.
• The House narrowly passed the bill, but its future in the Senate is uncertain.
• Trump urges minimal changes to ensure the bill's swift passage before the July 4 deadline.

In recent interviews, Republican Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed their significant reservations regarding President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill," which narrowly passed the House. They argue the bill, which proposes a variety of tax breaks and increased spending, does not adequately address fiscal responsibility and may lead to a substantial increase in national debt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill could add as much as $3.1 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade, raising concerns even among some conservative lawmakers, according to Newsweek and India Times.

During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Johnson criticized the bill's implications for spending, stating, "The first goal of our budget reconciliation process should be to reduce the deficit. This actually increases it." He emphasized that more stringent spending cuts are necessary, indicating that some Republicans may leverage their power to halt the bill unless their demands are met. Johnson warned, “We have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about spending reduction," according to ABC News and Newsweek.

In addition to concerns over spending, the legislation includes a controversial $4 trillion increase to the federal debt ceiling, a move that some senators find unacceptable. Rand Paul stated he would consider supporting the legislation only if the debt ceiling provision is eliminated. He described the proposed cuts as "wimpy and anemic" during a Fox News Sunday interview, stating that the bill could "explode deficits" if passed without significant modifications. Paul noted, “I can’t vote to raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion,” aligning with Johnson’s perspective on needing deeper fiscal cuts, according to India Times and ABC News.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has cautioned Senate Republicans against making extensive changes to the bill, emphasizing the importance of passing it quickly to provide relief to the American public. However, this urgency conflicts with the worries voiced by senators like Johnson and Paul about the bill's long-term economic impact. Johnson remarked, "I have a very delicate balance here, a very delicate equilibrium," expressing the necessity for fiscal prudence in future negotiations, as reported by Newsweek and ABC News.

As the Senate prepares to debate the bill, the dynamics within the Republican party highlight a division over fiscal strategies, with moderates and conservatives alike signaling the potential for significant amendments. With a deadline set for July 4 for a final vote, the pressure is mounting to reconcile differing viewpoints within the GOP, according to Newsweek and Newsweek.