Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said Sunday that he’s confident there are enough members of his party to vote against President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful” spending bill amid concerns that it does not make enough cuts to spending.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Paul’s office by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump made the passage of a new spending bill one of his centerpiece policy goals for his second administration, aiming to wrap everything up into one single bill, the much-touted “big, beautiful bill” that will allow him to pursue his raft of policies.
The bill would extend the president’s 2017 tax cats, reduce taxes for individuals and corporations, and add new exemptions for tipped workers and overtime pay. Critics also warn that the bill’s spending cuts would prove insufficient to pay for the proposed tax cuts and other spending priorities.
However, some Republicans have voiced reservations about supporting the bill, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimating that it will add $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
The House of Representatives passed the bill by just one vote, 215-214, as two Republicans broke ranks and joined every House Democrat in opposing the bill.
What To Know
Paul has spoken out against the spending bill and said he will not vote to pass it due to the inclusion of a mechanism that would allow Congress to increase the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.
On Sunday, the senator appeared on CBS News’ Face the Nation when host Margaret Brennan asked, “Do you have three other Republicans who will stand with you to block this bill?”
Paul responded: “I think there are four of us at this point, and I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction.”
He continued: “I want to vote for it. I’m for the tax cuts. I voted for the tax cuts before, I want the tax cuts to be permanent, but at the same time I don’t want to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion, so I’ve told them if you take the debt ceiling off the bill, in all likelihood I can vote for what the agreement is on the rest of the bill. And it doesn’t have to be perfect to my liking, but if I vote for the $5 trillion debt, who’s left in Washington that cares about the debt? The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this.”
The GOP senator said Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” increases spending by about $320 billion for the military and for the border.
“To put that perspective, that’s more than all the [Department of Government Efficiency] DOGE cuts that we found so far, so the increase in spending put into this bill exceeds the DOGE cuts,” he said Sunday.
Paul then cited what he called inflated spending on the southern border wall, noting that the Trump administration managed to carry out its deportations without needing new spending or equipment and therefore deeming such expenditure in the bill is “asking for too much money.”
“In the end, the way you add it up to see if it actually is going to save money or add money is how much debt are they going to borrow—$5 trillion over two years is an enormous amount,” he said.
Brennan: Do you have three other Republicans who will stand with you to block this bill?
Paul: I think there are four of us at this point pic.twitter.com/N8TO1I8jno
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 1, 2025
What People Are Saying
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: “The American people, like the Great People of Kentucky, do not support Biden spending levels and $5T in new debt. Therefore, I will not. It’s simple.”
Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, wrote on X on Sunday: “The House Budget process focused on $1.5 trillion in reduced spending and ignored the looming debt crisis. I am preparing a report: FY2025 Budget Reconciliation, Facts & Figures. I hope to complete it shortly and hold a hearing on it before we take any more Senate votes on the budget.”
President Donald Trump on Truth Social last week: “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” has PASSED the House of Representatives! This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!”
He added a message to Senate Republicans: “Now, it’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! There is no time to waste.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, in a statement on Thursday: “Today, the House has passed generational, nation-shaping legislation that reduces spending, permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, and makes government work more efficiently and effectively for all Americans.”
What Happens Next?
Other GOP senators, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Josh Hawley of Missouri, have also raised concerns about the bill, and have voiced concerns ahead of a vote on the bill, which the Senate has set to happen before the Fourth of July.
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