Sen. Rand Paul will not be voting for a spending bill that adds to the nation’s deficit.
“I cannot in good conscience vote to add more to the already massive $20 trillion debt. I promised Kentucky to vote against reckless, deficit spending and I will do just that,” Paul said in a tweet along with a video of him discussing the topic.
I cannot in good conscience vote to add more to the already massive $20 trillion debt. I promised Kentucky to vote against reckless, deficit spending and I will do just that. pic.twitter.com/BUYqm91mli
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 12, 2017
Lawmakers on Thursday approved a two-week spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, but legislators must pass a long-term deal to keep the government running beyond December 22.
“The end-of-the-year spending bill will continue spending money like there’s no tomorrow,” Paul said in the video.
In a follow-up tweet, the Kentucky senator explained that tax cuts aren’t the problem—government spending is.
"Tax cuts — people keeping more of their money — are never the problem. The problem is spending. We should obey our rules, stop the deficit spending, and shrink government," he wrote.
Tax cuts — people keeping more of their money — are never the problem. The problem is spending. We should obey our rules, stop the deficit spending, and shrink government.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 12, 2017
Paul has supported the GOP’s tax plan, which is a separate piece of legislation, although he admitted it’s “not perfect.”
"This tax bill is a true test for my colleagues. I’m not getting everything I want — far from it. But I’ve been immersed in this process. I’ve fought for and received major changes for the better — and I plan to vote for this bill as it stands right now," he wrote in a Fox News op-ed. "I urge my colleagues to do the same."