Earlier today it seemed the passage of a budget deal that would prevent a government shutdown was imminent. Now, the process of passing a bill has stopped, thanks largely to the efforts of one person — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Paul is a rare and often solo voice in either House of Congress when it comes to calling for fiscal sanity.
In a speech on the U.S. Senate floor tonight, Paul condemned government’s spending addiction and the hypocrisy it fuels in both parties, blasting a budget deal that adds over $500 billion in spending and debt over the next two years.
“When the Democrats are in power, Republicans appear to be the conservative party. But when Republicans are in power, it seems there is no conservative party,” Dr. Paul stated on the floor. “The hypocrisy hangs in the air and chokes anyone with a sense of decency or intellectual honesty,” he noted.
Dr. Paul went on to illustrate how ridiculous spending has become, and how much politicians could cut, by citing examples of government wasting hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars. These include stories of studying how selfies impact happiness, losing track of millions in heavy equipment, and diverting more than $158 million in school lunch assistance to uses such as buying lawn sprinklers and funding a district television station.
You can watch Dr. Paul’s speech below:
You can learn more about the examples of government waste Dr. Paul discussed and see other stories from his Waste Report HERE.
According to the media, little will likely happen from Paul’s efforts, other than a reminder of the government’s propensity of being out of control. It might lead to a short shutdown (measured in hours), but the budget is expected to pass. At the very least it might raise awareness about the fiscal situation in Washington, DC. It is impressive to see one man make a difference. Imagine if just a few of his colleagues did the same in both Houses of Congress?