Rand Paul put forth what’s called a modest a plan to reduce the debt, but 25 Republicans in the Senate refused to allow it to come to the floor for a vote:
Just 22 Republicans proved themselves to be great American patriots. Sixty-nine senators, including a whopping 25 Republicans, voted not to bring the bill to a final vote. https://t.co/KRp9VL7tBB
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 5, 2019
Here’s a quick summary of the plan from the article Paul tweeted:
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced about as reasonable an attempt to rein in our exploding deficit with his Pennies Plan, which would cut 2% from on-budget spending per year for the next five years. Additionally, Paul’s plan would expressly protect Social Security, include instructions to make the individual income tax reforms passed by President Trump permanent, and expand access to Health Savings Accounts.
It’s a modest but tangible step in the right direction. It wouldn’t solve our debt crisis, but it would ameliorate it somewhat. So naturally, a large bipartisan majority voted to block it from the Senate floor.
26 Republicans were among those who blocked it from the Senate floor, but as Ted Cruz points out, he was not one of them:
I was proud to stand with @RandPaul and support his Pennies Plan to finally rein in federal spending. Our debt continues to grow & too many politicians in Washington (in both parties) are sadly unwilling to do anything to shrink the Leviathan. https://t.co/XoPRyvewBi
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 5, 2019
The full list of Republicans who supported Paul’s plan is below:
- Barrasso (R-WY)
- Blackburn (R-TN)
- Braun (R-IN)
- Cornyn (R-TX)
- Crapo (R-ID)
- Cruz (R-TX)
- Daines (R-MT)
- Ernst (R-IA)
- Fischer (R-NE)
- Grassley (R-IA)
- Isakson (R-GA)
- Kennedy (R-LA)
- Lankford (R-OK)
- Lee (R-UT)
- Paul (R-KY)
- Risch (R-ID)
- Romney (R-UT)
- Sasse (R-NE)
- Scott (R-SC)
- Shelby (R-AL)
- Tillis (R-NC)
- Toomey (R-PA)
And here are the Republicans who voted with Democrats to put the kibosh on the bill:
- Blunt (R-MO)
- Boozman (R-AR)
- Burr (R-NC)
- Cassidy (R-LA)
- Collins (R-ME)
- Cotton (R-AR)
- Cramer (R-ND)
- Enzi (R-WY)
- Gardner (R-CO)
- Graham (R-SC)
- Hawley (R-MO)
- Hoeven (R-ND)
- Inhofe (R-OK)
- Johnson (R-WI)
- McConnell (R-KY)
- McSally (R-AZ)
- Murkowski (R-AK)
- Portman (R-OH)
- Roberts (R-KS)
- Rounds (R-SD)
- Rubio (R-FL)
- Scott (R-FL)
- Sullivan (R-AK)
- Thune (R-SD)
- Wicker (R-MS)
- Young (R-IN)
That’s a really sad list if you ask me. And honestly, what does it hurt bringing it to the floor for a full vote anyway?