On Wednesday’s broadcast of Newsmax TV’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stated that he won’t vote for a large reconciliation bill on the border, taxes, and energy if it includes an increase in the debt ceiling.

Paul began by saying that Republicans are united on keeping tax breaks and expanding drilling.

He added, “The things that [have] potential at dividing us would be raising the debt ceiling with this bill. So, if there’s an attempt to raise the debt ceiling, I won’t vote for the bill. And the reason is, is I haven’t voted for the spending. I’ve voted every time against expanding the spending. I’ve voted for balanced budgets. I’ve introduced balanced budgets. The people who need to be ashamed or need to be participating in a day of shame and voting for the raising of the debt ceiling are the Democrats and the big government Republicans who vote for the spending. It’s the way it’s always been done in the past. Conservatives have never voted to raise the debt ceiling, because we don’t vote for the spending. It’s not our responsibility. It’s the people who vote for the spending and for the debt to vote for it. So, hopefully, they’ll keep that off of the reconciliation bill. If they do, I think we can stay united enough to pass the bill.”

Later in the segment, Paul said that he wants reductions in spending to be part of the package.

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