Texas Republican on deficit spending in GOP bill: ‘It is not a perfect world’

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) lamented the deficit spending in the GOP's "big, beautiful" spending package but framed the issue as a necessary compromise to avoid having to negotiate with Democrats.

“I don’t want to have any deficit spending. But what I’m trying to suggest to you is that we are stuck in a paradigm where we have to pass this ourselves,” Sessions told CNN’s John Berman in an interview Thursday morning.

The Texas Republican said he conceded on demands from a handful of Republicans representing blue-leaning states who pushed to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. He added, “It’s a balance there.”

“What we’re trying to do is balance out where the American people get jobs and job creation. We really don’t want to see people just leave these blue states because of taxes that they can’t afford their property,” Sessions said. “So, it is not a perfect world, John.” 

He also pointed out that if the sprawling legislative agenda is not passed through the reconciliation process, then Republicans would have to turn to Democrats — which, Sessions argued, would not necessarily reduce deficit spending but would mean less of Trump’s agenda could make it through Congress.

“The bottom line is, is that this has to come together as a piece of legislation. You see, John, if we do not pass our one big, beautiful bill, then we negotiate with Democrats, essentially nine Democrats, that simply raises spending to get us where we get the tax cuts that we save them, where they ought to be,” the GOP lawmaker said.

“So it is, no question about it, not a perfect battle for Republicans,” he added.

The interview comes amid criticism from tech billionaire Elon Musk that has slowed momentum in the Senate on the bill. The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday projected that the 1,116-page House passed bill would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.