Sen. Rand Paul reiterated his disappointment with Speaker Mike Johnson over the passage of the spending bill that averted a government shutdown, calling on Sunday for a "speaker with a spine."

The Kentucky Republican, appearing on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," said that "if we had a speaker with a spine who put forward a budget and a plan to cut spending over a five-year period to balance a budget, I'll vote to raise the debt ceiling, because you still have to add debt during that five years."

He reiterated that he would support a debt ceiling "only if there is government reform to cut spending," insisting that "you need strength in a speaker, somebody who could put forward something that actually is going to change the course. I can tell you, if we add $8 trillion in this next administration of debt, people will be frustrated."

Paul stressed that "we have to do a better job on spending. And that means fiscal conservatives like myself and others, we'll continue to stand up on principle, because we're afraid we're going to destroy the country, we're afraid that they're going to destroy the currency, we're afraid that we're getting to a cataclysmic point, Social Security is running out of money, Medicare is running out of money.

"Somebody has to stand up and say, 'enough is enough, we don't have any more money.'"

When pressed about his recent suggestion on X that Elon Musk be elected as House speaker, Paul said the idea was offered "a little tongue in cheek."

The senator said that "I think Elon's got some important stuff to do, building rockets and making Teslas, but I do appreciate his input, and he has changed the debate. He's drawing attention to the things I've been talking about for a decade, the waste."

When asked if he would, in the end, support Johnson as speaker, Rand pointed out that as a senator, he has no vote on the matter, instead saying that it's "good to mix it up and let them know we are not happy with the job they're doing."

• Sen. Paul Floats Elon Musk for Speaker to 'Disrupt Swamp'
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