Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for his proposed spending bill, calling him a “weak, weak man.” In a Wednesday post on social media platform X, Paul expressed disappointment, stating, “I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man.”
These remarks came in response to the release of a continuing resolution (CR) designed to fund the government through March, which ignited strong reactions and debates from both parties.
A vote on the CR is anticipated later this week. Paul asserted that “the debt will continue to grow. However, the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit,” declaring it “a sad day for America.”
Internal strife has emerged among House Republicans regarding the inclusion of disaster relief and aid for farmers, especially as the deadline approaches. Paul indicated his intention to oppose any short-term funding package that fails to incorporate measures to offset the new spending outlined in the proposal.
“There are some big existing pay-fors, and I think they should be forced to decide: Do you want to help the people in Asheville or do you want to help green-energy companies, multimillion-dollar companies with subsidies for green energy?
There’s about $4 billion out there in that,” Paul remarked in a previous statement to The Hill. An agreement must be reached by Friday to ensure the government remains funded ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration in January.