Rand Paul Calls Speaker Mike Johnson a ‘Weak Man’ After Spending Deal Is Revealed: ‘A Sad Day for America’
A budget deal reached by congressional leaders is facing criticism from conservatives who argue that it allows excessive spending in a rushed manner. The agreement, referred to as a continuing resolution, aims to keep the government funded through March 14. This comes as Congress typically needs to pass a federal budget by October 1, often resulting in temporary stopgap measures due to delays in finalizing a budget.
Republican Senator Rand Paul voiced strong opposition, calling the deal a failure of fiscal duty and criticizing House Speaker Mike Johnson for perceived weakness in leadership. Paul expressed concerns about increasing national debt and questioned the focus on aid for green energy versus the needs of struggling communities. Other Republicans, like Senator Mike Lee, also condemned the agreement, suggesting that many lawmakers who campaigned on conservative fiscal principles were not following through in practice.
The proposed swift passage of the bill has prompted further criticism, with rep. Chip Roy asserting that it contradicts the proper legislative process and that lawmakers are forced to make hasty decisions under pressured timelines. The situation reflects ongoing challenges in balancing budgetary discipline with the immediate needs of government funding.
A budget deal agreed upon by congressional leaders is being attacked by conservatives as too much waste being approved in too little time.
On Tuesday, a deal was cut to pass what’s known as a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 14, according to CBS.
In theory, Congress is supposed to pass a federal budget by Oct. 1, but in practice, it uses a series of stopgap bills to operate the government while Congress hashes out a final budget. The current stopgap bill expires Friday.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was among those saying the agreement is a disaster for fiscal restraint.
“I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man,” Paul posted on X.
I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man.
The debt will continue to grow. Ultimately the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit.
A sad day for America.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 18, 2024
“The debt will continue to grow. Ultimately the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit. A sad day for America,” he wrote.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah noted that many who support President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency failed to translate that public support into action when they should have done so.
“Many of the loudest, self-proclaimed ‘@DOGE Heroes’ in Congress will vote for the CR — even though it flies in the face of everything @DOGE is trying to fix & perpetuates the very problems Republicans railed against while campaigning this year,” he posted on X.
Many of the loudest, self-proclaimed “@DOGE Heroes” in Congress will vote for the CR—even though it flies in the face of everything @DOGE is trying to fix & perpetuates the very problems Republicans railed against while campaigning this year
Then they’ll say “@DOGE will fix it!” https://t.co/JRWDvsbRd8
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 18, 2024
“Then they’ll say ‘@DOGE will fix it!’” he posted.
Lee’s post contained a comment from Daniel Horowitz of The Blaze mocking critics of big spending who just spent even bigger.
“’We’re going to cut spending like there is no tomorrow, DOGE DOGE DOGE everything DOGE,’” Horotiz mocked big spenders as saying.
“Then at the very first leverage point following the big election win, they actually INCREASE spending from the record inflationary baseline,” he wrote in a post on X.
Paul said he might not be on board with the timetable to zip through procedural steps and pass the budget by Friday, according to The Hill.
“I can’t anticipate giving any time of consent to condense time without debate and debate means amendments,” Paul said, targeting subsidies for green energy companies.
“I think they should be forced to decide: Do you want to help the people in Asheville or do you want to help green-energy companies, multimillion-dollar companies with subsidies for green energy? There’s about $4 billion out there in that,” he said, referring to the North Carolina region hit hard by storms this fall.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants the bill to go through the regular process, which would mean a pit stop at the Rules Committee, where critics could slow the bill’s progress, CBS reported.
Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said the bill’s fast track “is not the process that we signed up for.”
“We get this negotiated crap, and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich,” Roy said. “Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner. It’s the same dang thing every year — legislate by crisis, legislate by calendar, not legislate because it’s the right thing to do.”
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