Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said over the weekend that America’s ballooning national debt was becoming a serious threat to U.S. national security.
Mullin made the remarks during a Sunday interview on ABC News’ “This Week” with Jonathan Karl when asked about Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting wasteful spending in other agencies and departments.
“We hate that anybody’s losing their job, but at the same time, we know that the debt that we have in this country is not manageable, and it’s becoming a national security risk, and we’re spending nearly a trillion dollars a year just in servicing the debt,” Mullin said. “That is scary. We’re spending more on interest payments than we are in our Defense Department now.”
“Anybody will tell you that is a road for disaster,” he continued. “So any time you take over a situation like Elon Musk has had many opportunities and many experiences with taking over businesses, you had to start cutting some of the fat.”
“And unfortunately, the number one expense we have in the United States government right now is payroll, and when you start cutting departments, some people’s jobs are lost,” he added. “And it hurts us because we don’t want anybody to lose their job. But at the same time, we have to get it under control because if we don’t get our debt underneath control, it becomes a national security — can you imagine if we get downgraded?”
He said that if the U.S. gets its credit rating downgraded and the dollar starts losing its value that it could lead to disastrous economic outcomes for the country.
“Our buying power, the ability to invest into the country, the ability to invest in our military starts shrinking, and then we start losing the strength part when we start wanting to be at the negotiating table from peace through strength,” he continued.
WATCH:
When asked about Elon Musk’s efforts to layoff federal employees, GOP Sen. Mullin tells @JonKarl the move is necessary to control debt.
“It hurts us because we don’t want anybody to lose their job. But at the same time, we have to get it under control.” https://t.co/MbYZfpYm86 pic.twitter.com/hzC1q8umzS
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 16, 2025