Exclusive—Rand Paul: Disingenuous Republicans at the Spending Trough

Some say that it is irresponsible NOT to raise the debt ceiling.

Well, true fiscal conservatives say it’s irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without any reform of our profligate spending.

To allow the debt limit to go up an infinite amount, as much as Congress can possibly spend over nearly a two-year period, is about as fiscally irresponsible as has ever been seen in our history.

The federal government is spending nearly $2 million every minute.

The annual deficit this year will exceed $1.2 trillion.

What is irresponsible is recklessly indenturing our children and grandchildren.

What is irresponsible is binding our kids to this massive burden of debt.

What is irresponsible is a Congress that believes they are Santa Claus – everything to everyone, and it’s all free.

At least Democrats are honest. Democrats don’t care about deficits. Democrats are falling all over themselves to propose more than $50 trillion in new spending programs.

But Republicans are also guilty – at least, the Big Government Republicans who will vote for this monstrous addition of debt.

Many of the supporters of this debt deal ran around their states for years complaining that President Obama was spending too much and borrowing too much.

Now these same Republicans, the whole disingenuous lot of them, will wiggle their way to the front of the spending trough to vote for as much or more debt than during the Obama years.

Shame. Shame on the politicians who campaign as conservatives but govern as big spenders.

America, wake up. The two parties are often one. The two parties who ostensibly fight are in reality one party of big spenders, separated only by where they want to spend the pork.

The media reports of lack of compromise. The opposite is true. There is too much compromise, and the compromise is always more debt, more pork-barrel spending, and more burden for our kids.

There is another path. There is another compromise. Instead of compromising to raise spending for guns and butter, we could compromise to hold the line on ALL spending.

Just a mere 2 percent reduction in spending would balance the budget in less than five years.

So, what I offer today is just that compromise.

The right would have to accept less military spending.

The left would have to accept less welfare spending.

My amendment would CUT, CAP, and Balance the Budget.

And when the Balanced Budget amendment is passed and sent to the states, and when spending caps are in place, and when spending has been cut, then and only then, the debt ceiling would be allowed to rise.

Today will be a litmus test for fiscal conservatism. Those senators who vote for an unlimited increase in the debt ceiling are not conservatives and have no right to call themselves that. So, America, wake up and watch the vote today and discover who actually gives a damn for the future of our country.