Sen. Rand Paul pledges to filibuster bipartisan budget deal


The White House and the Republican leaders of Congress reached a budget compromise on Monday, and conservatives were quick to voice their opposition to the deal's lack of spending cuts and raising of the debt ceiling until President Obama is out of office. On Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took that ire one step further and vowed to filibuster the bill in the Senate, especially the provision about raising the debt ceiling. "I will filibuster the new debt ceiling bill," Paul told attendees of an event at the University of Colorado, Denver. "It is horrible, it's hard for me not to use profanity describing it." He came close, calling it a "steaming pile of legislation."
When Paul tried a similar move in 2011, he said he would only allow a vote on raising the debt ceiling if Congress passed a balanced budget amendment, notes David Weigel at The Washington Post. Congress didn't, but it did raise the debt ceiling. This time, Paul says he plans to make the Senate work over Halloween weekend, allowing the House Freedom Caucus time to try and sink the bill. Paul is running for president, and lagging in the polls.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
What does occupying Gaza accomplish for Israel?
Talking Points Risking a 'strategic dead-end' in fight against Hamas
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
'This is a coordinated campaign of harassment'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively