Rand Paul this morning took to Twitter and accused Lindsey Graham and John McCain of ‘torpedoing’ the budget:
Senators McCain and Graham are torpedoing the budget by insisting on busting the budget caps for more spending.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 17, 2017
I have told the White House and GOP leaders that if they simply stick to their own caps, the rest of the Budget is fine and I’ll vote yes.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 17, 2017
It is a simple, but important, change they could easily make. The ball is in their court.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 17, 2017
Lindsey Graham shot back at Paul an hour or so later, accusing him of saving Obamacare by ‘trashing’ Graham-Cassidy:
Getting more bad info @RandPaul.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 17, 2017
Don’t screw up #TaxReform now.
You already saved #Obamacare by trashing #GrahamCassidy-Heller-Johnson. https://t.co/QEJWuvUn2z
Point #2: The Budget resolution doesn’t affect statutory spending caps.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 17, 2017
Tax reform relies on budget reconciliation. If Congress can’t pass a budget, then tax reform doesn’t happen – which is what Graham is referring to in his first tweet when he tells Paul not to screw up tax reform.
As far as the spending caps, I don’t know the answer on that. Paul is saying that Graham and McCain are blowing the caps to get more spending, yet Graham seems to be suggesting that it might be true but it’s not that simple or something.