On Tuesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” Special Assistant to the President and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields responded to criticism that the House budget bill will increase the deficit and doesn’t have enough in the way of spending cuts by stating that the savings identified by DOGE will play a part in cutting spending and “there’s a multifaceted approach here. We’re looking at deregulation, we’re looking at tax cuts, we’re looking at bringing jobs back. … So, it’s an all-of-government approach that the president is trying to achieve. This bill is a step in the right direction.”
Host Elizabeth Vargas asked, “Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said, this budget is ‘insane. We’re going to increase the deficit’ with this budget. ‘You can’t cut taxes without cutting spending,’ and they’re not really having — making spending cuts here. What’s your reaction to that?”
Fields responded, “Thomas Massie was a big voice when it comes to spending cuts. Listen, spending cuts are a priority for the president of the United States. We don’t have a revenue problem in the United States. We do have a spending problem in the United States. This is why the president signed an executive order to initiate DOGE. We are looking, not just here at the White House, but across the administration, on ways we can cut waste, fraud, and abuse in this country. We have over $55 billion in savings already. So, that will play a role, on top of the legislative actions that we’re hoping that the House and the Senate will take.”
Vargas then cut in to say, “That’s a drop in the bucket, if it’s even real, it’s so small. It sounds big to you and me just talking. But compared to what we’re — that enormous deficit that we’re paying $3 billion of interest, every single day, interest on that debt, it’s a drop in the bucket.”
Fields responded, “Well, considering that no president has ever taken a step to actually look under the hood and connect the — and correct the financing of our own federal government, I think that’s a historic effort that the president has been able to do. And you’re right, there’s a multifaceted approach here. We’re looking at deregulation, we’re looking at tax cuts, we’re looking at bringing jobs back. Let’s not forget, there was a historic announcement yesterday, Apple is committing $500 billion over four years in the United States. This means jobs to Texas, this means jobs to Oregon, this means jobs to Michigan. So, it’s an all-of-government approach that the president is trying to achieve. This bill is a step in the right direction.”
Fields also stated that the final bill isn’t done yet and this is just a budget blueprint.
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