Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds appeared on Newsmax Tuesday and outlined what he said was the urgent need for a shift in fiscal policy as he introduced a “new playing field” for American free trade.
Early Saturday, the Senate passed a budget resolution, largely along party lines, that extends President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanently and allocates $175 billion to border security, despite opposition from Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins. During an appearance on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Donalds addressed the American free trade and fiscal policy as he suggested a shift in approach amid ongoing debates over tax cuts and spending.
“My viewpoint is when you have other countries who know that they are at a major advantage or even an advantage, period, compared to the United States, that’s not good enough anymore,” Donalds said. Donalds compared the current economic scenario to wrestling with his children, who he said have grown stronger over the years.
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“I made this analogy when I had a meeting with several folks earlier today. When my kids were much younger, I could wrestle all three of them, and it wasn’t any big deal. Now my kids are 21, 17 and 13. I can’t wrestle all three of them at the same time,” Donalds added.
Donalds criticized what he said was the United States’ historical leniency when it comes to enforcing trade restrictions.
“It was fine if they had tariff policies and protections, if they had companies that were actually cheating when it came to trade enforcement or that for a long time. The United States didn’t even bother enforcing the trade restrictions that we had put in place,” Donalds said. “That’s the facts. So if you want to go to free trade, which I want to do, you have to have a new playing field where countries are on the same level playing field as we are in the United States.”
Donalds also addressed the division over Trump’s tax initiative.
“So, real quick, there isn’t a disagreement on Capitol Hill when it comes to tax policy,” Donalds told Schmitt. “The disagreement is how much money are we cutting in mandatory spending and, to be blunt, there are members on Capitol Hill who don’t trust members of the Senate, and, frankly, don’t trust members of leadership in order to deliver on a lot of the promises that have been made over the years up here on Capitol Hill.”
Paul opposed the budget resolution due to its provision for a $5 trillion increase in the statutory debt limit, which he said would mark an unprecedented level of borrowing in a single bill in recent American history. Senate GOP leaders say that minimal spending cuts in the bill provide the Senate with optimal flexibility for adhering to the budget reconciliation process, though some deficit-wary House Republicans remain skeptical of the Senate’s commitment to spending reductions and suggest they might block the budget resolution without textual amendments.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Newsmax)
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