One Republican member of the U.S. Senate is now hoping to get his colleagues on the record over their support of controversial budget cuts — and he thinks some GOP senators may not appreciate his effort.
Politico is reporting that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is hoping to codify some of the cuts that President Donald Trump's administration — in conjunction with South African centibillionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — has made to foreign aid into law, which would require an up-or-down vote in the chamber. Paul particularly wants a public vote on an amendment that would cut foreign aid grants by 83%.
Paul predicted the amendment would fail in the Senate, where Republicans have a 53-47 majority. He opined that roughly half of the Senate Republican Conference would likely be on the record against the Trump administration's cuts.
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“My vote will be an example of how many people support DOGE,” Paul told reporters on Wednesday. “No Democrats, obviously. But on the Republican side, how many people actually would cut any money from foreign aid? I think you'll be surprised, or maybe you won't.”
What remains unknown is whether Paul will make his support of a must-pass government funding bill contingent on whether he's allowed to get an up-or-down vote on his DOGE amendment. The Kentucky Republican wouldn't rule out a last-minute standoff, telling reporters on Wednesday that his plans are "top secret."
Paul has said he's likely to vote against the continuing resolution (CR) the House of Representatives sent over to the Senate in late February, which would keep the government funded at current levels through September 30 with a few exceptions. The House CR would cut non-defense spending by $13 billion across several agencies while appropriating another $6 billion to the Pentagon.
Lawmakers have until 11:59 PM on Friday, March 14 to get a final funding bill to Trump's desk in order to avoid a government shutdown. Senate Democrats have already indicated they plan to oppose the legislation, which needs 60 votes to pass. And the House has already gaveled out for recess, meaning if the Senate doesn't pass the House legislation as-is, a government shutdown will begin this weekend.
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Click here to read Politico's report in full.