Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has told Senate GOP leadership that he is a hard no on the bill the House passed early Thursday morning to enact President Trump’s legislative agenda because the legislation includes language to raise the debt limit by $4 trillion over the next two years.
“I’ve told them if they’ll take the debt ceiling off of it, I’ll consider voting for it,” Paul said of his conversations with GOP leadership.
“We’ve never, ever voted to raise the debt ceiling this much. It’ll be a historic increase. I think it’s not good for conservatives to be on record supporting a $4 [trillion] or $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling,” he said.
Paul said the expected yearly deficit will be $2 trillion over the next two years if the bill passes in the upper chamber.
“It’s not conservative; I can’t support it,” he said.
“If they were to take the debt ceiling off of it and have the tax reductions and spending reductions, I’d probably vote for that,” he added. “The spending reductions are imperfect, and I think wimpy, but I’d still vote for the package if I didn’t have to vote to raise the debt ceiling.”
Paul predicted Trump and the Republican Party will “own” future deficits if they pass a budget reconciliation bill that adds another $4 trillion on to the debt.
“Republicans now own the debt, and Republicans now own the spending. There’s no more blaming, ‘Oh, it’s [former President] Biden’s fault.’ The deficit is fully and completely owned by Republicans after this bill,” he said.
Senate Republicans control a 53-seat majority, which means Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) can afford only three defections from within his conference and still pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
Vice President Vance would break a 50-50 tie to advance the legislation.
Other Senate conservatives, including Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Rick Scott (Fla.), have called for changes to the bill to further reduce federal deficits over the next 10 years.