{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=75276a85-cf3b-4c38-a026-3c8878df9a07", "Johnson on Why He Voted Against Budget Deal", "2015-10-30", "2015", "2015-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) made these remarks after voting no on H.R. 1314, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015:\r\nRepublicans and Democrats should be able to agree to protect the full faith and credit of the United States. Washington does enough damage to the economy  instead, it should provide the certainty needed for growth.\r\nBut surely we can do much better than this terrible deal that resulted from a dysfunctional process.\r\nThis deal lifts the caps that halted President Obamas 2009 spending spree and reined in his big-government ambition for five years. In exchange for $80 billion of new spending over two years, it promises spending restraint 10 years from now. It pays for recurring expenses by a one-time sale from the strategic petroleum reserve  at a time of low oil prices. It makes Social Securitys fiscal problems worse by diverting money to make its disability program briefly look solvent. It allows the federal debt  which already rose 71% since President Obama took office, which now totals $56,710 for every person in the United States  to rise without limit for the next year and a half.\r\nThis deal makes changes across federal programs  in agriculture, health care, Social Security, taxes. The peoples business deserves transparency. This back-room process does not permit it.\r\nThe public expects, and should demand, that we do better. I have fought consistently to limit out-of-control spending and prioritize spending. I was proud to be part of crafting the first balanced budget in 14 years. This deal takes us off that responsible path and puts us back on a path of unrestrained spending and borrowing. That is reason enough to oppose it and is why I voted no.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=75276a85-cf3b-4c38-a026-3c8878df9a07"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.498169731348753, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}