House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is pushing back against criticism from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) over the House-passed version of President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which Paul claims would dangerously balloon the national debt.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday with anchor Shannon Bream—just moments after Paul’s interview—Johnson offered a measured rebuttal, dismissing the senator’s claims that the bill includes “wimpy and anemic” spending cuts and poses a national security risk by “exploding” the debt.

“I agree wholeheartedly with what my dear friend, Rand Paul, said. I love his conviction and I share it. The national debt is … the greatest threat to our national security and deficits are a serious problem,” the speaker said.

“What I think Rand is missing on this one is the fact that we are quite serious about this. This is the biggest spending cut, Shannon, in more than 30 years, we’re going to cut over $1.5 trillion in spending, and it’s a big leap forward,” Johnson continued.

He added: “The last time we had a spending cut was three decades ago, and it was only 800 billion, even adjusted for inflation. This is the biggest spending cut, I think, in the history of government on planet earth. Now, is it enough? Of course not. But we have a very delicate balance and we have to start the process.”

“I liken this to an aircraft carrier. You don’t turn an aircraft carrier on a dime. It takes a mile of open ocean. And so, it took us decades to get into this situation. This is a big step to begin to turn that aircraft carrier,” Johnson said, adding that he wanted to address “an important point” made by the Republican senator from Kentucky.’

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“It sounds like his biggest objection is the fact that we are extending the debt ceiling,” Johnson said. “That’s a critically important thing to do. We have to do it. We’re not going to get any Democrats to assist on that. So, to get it through the Senate and make sure we don’t crash the U.S. economy and default on our debts for the first time in history, it has to be part of the reconciliation package. And that’s why the president, Trump, and all the other Republicans in Congress, House and Senate, understand the necessity of this.”

He added: “Real quick, important point here. It does not mean that we’re going to spend more money. We’re extending the debt ceiling to show to creditors, the bond markets, the stock market, that the Congress is serious about this. President Trump is dialed in 100%. He is a visionary leader. He does not want to spend more money. And he has the same concern about the national debt that Rand Paul and I do. That’s why we’re not going to be spending to that level. We’re just sending a message to our creditors around the world that we’re serious about all of this.”