(DC Pundit) – Washington’s latest political showdown didn’t end in a government shutdown, but it did shine a glaring spotlight on a pack of Republican senators who’d rather cozy up to Biden-era spending than back President Donald Trump’s bold vision. Kentucky’s own Rand Paul, a fiscal hawk with a knack for stirring the pot, forced a vote last week that was supposed to codify Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to foreign aid into the latest spending package. Spoiler alert: It didn’t, and the list of GOP defectors reads like a who’s-who of squishy conservatives who’d rather fund Peruvian transgender comic books than, say, secure our borders.
Politico reported that Paul’s amendment aimed to slash foreign aid grant funding by a whopping 83 percent—aligning with the no-nonsense reductions already underway by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s DOGE crew. “My vote will be an example of how many people support DOGE,” Paul declared last Wednesday, predicting a grim turnout. He wasn’t wrong. While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer waved the white flag, admitting defeat with 10 of his 47 Democrats crossing the aisle to back the GOP-led resolution, the real story lies in the Republicans who balked at Paul’s plan.
Let’s be real: No one expected a single Democrat to cheer for DOGE’s axe swinging through their precious foreign aid slush fund. But the Republican side? That’s where the knives came out—or rather, stayed sheathed. The usual suspects—like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who’d vote for a tax hike on apple pie if it meant a photo-op with CNN—were no shockers. But Oklahoma’s dynamic duo, both senators from a state that bled red in 2024? Mississippi’s entire delegation? Tim Scott and John Thune, the latter being the GOP Senate leader? That’s not just a betrayal; it’s a full-on facepalm moment for conservatives who thought reelecting Trump meant a unified front.
Just tried to put President’s Doge foreign aid cuts into law.
27 Republicans voted to cut foreign aid but 26 Republicans and all Democrats voted to keep funding foreign aid at Biden levels.
What a disappointment!
Those who voted with me:
YEAs —27
Banks (R-IN)
Blackburn…— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 14, 2025
The Nays are far more important to list and here they are:
Republicans who voted against Rand Paul:
Barrasso (R-WY)
Boozman (R-AR)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Collins (R-ME)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
Fischer (R-NE)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hyde-Smith…— Patrick Webb (@RealPatrickWebb) March 15, 2025
The cuts Paul pushed are already in motion under Trump’s administration, which has made it clear that DEI training in Serbia isn’t exactly a national security priority. Yet, these senators chose to keep the cash flowing, preserving Biden’s legacy of wasteful spending over Trump’s promise to drain the swamp—or at least its overseas checking account. “I think you’ll be surprised, or maybe you won’t,” Paul quipped about the vote. Honestly, after years of watching RINOs fold like cheap lawn chairs, the only surprise is that we’re still surprised.
Politico noted that the amendment’s failure didn’t derail the spending bill—crisis averted—but it did expose a rift in the GOP that conservatives can’t ignore.
What’s at stake here? More than just dollars. It’s about loyalty to Trump’s mandate and the voters who sent him back to the White House. Oklahoma, for instance, isn’t exactly a hotbed of globalist sentiment—every county went for Trump in November. So why are its senators playing footsie with Biden’s playbook? And John Thune, the man steering the GOP Senate ship, voting to keep the spigot open? If that’s leadership, then I’m the next American Idol.
Paul’s move was a litmus test, and too many Republicans failed it. “No Democrats, obviously,” he said, laying bare the partisan divide. “But on the Republican side, how many people actually would cut any money from foreign aid?” Not enough, apparently. For conservatives watching at home, this vote wasn’t just a procedural hiccup—it was a wake-up call. Trump’s got the reins, but he’s still saddled with a party that can’t decide if it’s ready to ride into battle or retreat to the cocktail circuit. Time to start naming names and holding feet to the fire, because DOGE isn’t here to play fetch—it’s here to bite.
Copyright 2025. DCPundit.com | Featured image credit: Gage Skidmore
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