As Senate Republicans work to advance President Donald Trump's spending and tax bill, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., does a TV news interview at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The White House has framed the bill as a solution to four years of failures under former President Joe Biden. Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, and Mike Lee of Utah, three other Republicans in the upper chamber, have also shared concerns about the bill's fiscal implications.
Paul told Breitbart News on Monday that while he believes the left is "adrift," most Republicans are shying away from intra-party debates on certain issues, similarly to how Democrats acted after former President Barack Obama's re-election win.
Paul reportedly said he supports "a lot" of Trump's budget package but disagrees with "the additional $5 trillion in debt" the senator claims is attached to the bill.
"That’s a hard place for me as I support much of what’s in the bill, tax cuts, spending cuts, plus more spending cuts if we can get them. But I can’t reconcile myself to adding $5 trillion in debt, raising the debt ceiling," Paul said.
The senator told Breitbart the debt is going to be $2.2 trillion this year and Republicans have largely continued Biden-era spending levels.
"They’re anticipating $5 trillion in two years, and that means next year’s deficit that some people are saying it’s going to grow to over $3 trillion a year again," Paul said.
The senator separately expressed to the Associated Press that he told Trump this would be the first time in recent history that Republicans would "own" the debt ceiling if an increase of the nation’s debt limit was included in the GOP’s sweeping tax and spending package. Paul reportedly added in the Breitbart interview that his opposition to portions of the "big, beautiful bill" are meant to preserve the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s progress down the road.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters about his plans to advance President Donald Trump's spending and tax bill, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., meanwhile, says Trump told him in a call he "wants to make sure" the Senate doesn’t cut Medicaid benefits, according to the AP.
The Missouri Republican has been working to strip steep healthcare cuts from the House bill, beyond work requirements for some aid recipients.
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Hawley said Trump told him the senators could instead raise revenue by closing the so-called carried interest tax loophole used by wealthy filers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
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