Sen. Rand Paul Blasts Trump Bill Over Debt Hike, Defense Costs

Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that President Donald Trump's signature legislative package includes too much spending and an unacceptable debt ceiling hike, warning that "the math doesn't really add up" as the Senate prepares to take up the bill this week, CBS News reported.

The Kentucky Republican discussed Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," raising concerns over its cost and proposed $5 trillion debt ceiling increase.

"I think they're asking for too much money," Paul said during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." He criticized the legislation, which the House narrowly passed last month, for allocating "a lot of extra money" to defense spending and border security — areas he said have already seen progress under Trump's leadership without additional funding.

The legislation marks a centerpiece of Trump's second-term agenda, combining tax cuts, defense boosts, and energy reforms. However, Paul and a small group of Senate Republicans remain as holdouts, mainly over the debt ceiling provision included in the bill. While the House-passed version calls for a $4 trillion hike, the Senate's budget blueprint outlines a $5 trillion increase.

Paul warned that raising the debt ceiling as part of the broader bill would saddle the GOP with ownership of the national debt. "If I vote for the $5 trillion debt, who's left in Washington that cares about the debt?" he said. "The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this."

Instead, Paul has proposed splitting the debt ceiling provision from the rest of the package and voting on it separately. He said doing so would make it more likely for him to support the bill's other components.

"In all likelihood, I can vote for what the agreement is on the rest of the bill, and it doesn't have to be perfect to my liking," Paul said. "But the debt ceiling increase is a nonstarter."

Paul also suggested temporarily suspending the debt limit — a few months at a time — to ensure that spending cuts are implemented before further increases are considered.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned earlier this month that the U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as August if Congress fails to act. Appearing on "Face the Nation" alongside Paul, Bessent defended the bill's financial outlook and pointed to expected revenue from tariffs and other sources.

He said changes to the legislation would ultimately be up to the Senate, praising Senate Majority Leader John Thune's efforts and expressing confidence in the process.

"Everyone said that Speaker [Mike] Johnson would not be able to get this bill out of the House with his slim majority – he got it out," Bessent said. "Leader Thune has a bigger majority, and this is with President Trump's leadership."

Trump, for his part, issued a warning to Paul via Truth Social on Saturday should he elect to decline support for the bill: "Rand will be playing right into the hands of the Democrats, and the GREAT people of Kentucky will never forgive him!"