President-elect Donald Trump has made raising or eliminating the debt ceiling a central demand in the current standoff over government funding. On Thursday, Trump proudly announced that he had struck a new deal with House Republicans on a spending bill that would delay the debt ceiling debate for two years.
However, his demand was met with resistance from at least one key Republican senator. CNN’s Manu Raju reported that Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) firmly rejected Trump’s proposal to eliminate the debt ceiling. On Thursday, Paul stated, “They’re trying but I don’t think they’ll get there.” He continued, “Getting rid of the debt ceiling seems to be fiscally irresponsible.”
His remarks came before Trump’s proclamation that the new spending bill had successfully included his demand to push back the debt ceiling debate. Paul’s opposition did not stop there. He predicted that as many as 30 Republicans in the Senate would refuse to vote for the elimination of the debt ceiling, underscoring the uphill battle Trump faces in convincing his party members to support such a drastic move, told The Guardian.
The ongoing chaos on Capitol Hill has been exacerbated by Trump’s and X owner Elon Musk’s intervention in derailing a bipartisan bill that aimed to keep the government running. With the federal government set to run out of money in less than two days, Republicans are scrambling to craft a plan that can secure enough votes to pass the House and avoid a government shutdown.
As the debate continues, it is clear that the GOP is divided over how to handle the debt ceiling and government funding, with significant resistance from fiscal conservatives like Paul who view eliminating the debt ceiling as a step too far.