U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says Paul Ryan’s budget is what the country needs, but he also wants to see hard spending caps on Congress that he believes would force it to prioritize spending.

“The American people look at the Ryan budget as a beginning of spending restraint,” Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said Friday during a media availability in Milwaukee.

He said Ryan showed courage in trying to bring about a solution to the budget.

“It’s a serious proposal in terms of how we’re going to start addressing this situation,” he added. “It’s not that we have a choice whether to compete globally, we have to compete globally.”

To become more competitive, he said the U.S. has to establish hard spending caps, put the straight jacket on Congress and force lawmakers to prioritize spending.

“This would bring back confidence,” Johnson said. “The number one solution for what ails our economy is economic growth.”

Johnson said the best way for the U.S. to handle rising gas prices is to be concerned about the value of the dollar. Johnson said he supports more drilling in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

“Years ago, decades ago, we should have been fully utilizing what natural resources we have in this country,” he said.

Johnson said the near shutdown of the federal government was over a disagreement on a “couple” of billion dollars.

“Our problem is measured in the trillions,” Johnson said. “Americans may not realize how urgent the situation is, but they realize we have to address it”

The root cause of what’s ailing the economy is the prevention of job creation as the government is “gobbling up” too much of the private economy.

“My biggest disappointment so far is President Obama’s lack of leadership in terms of the budget crisis,” he said.

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