WASHINGTON — Kentucky Republican Sen. [crscore]Rand Paul[/crscore] promised filibuster on the debt ceiling legislation lasted only 19 minutes on Thursday night. However, without the colleagues he called on to help him filibuster the legislation, Paul’s maneuver was short-lived.
Paul announced his filibuster plans at the GOP presidential debate Wednesday night.
“I will stand firm. I will spend every ounce of energy to stop [the deal],” Sen. Paul said. “I will begin tomorrow to filibuster it. And I ask everyone in America to call Congress tomorrow and say enough is enough; no more debt.”
#StandWithRand during his debt ceiling filibuster! Donate $20.16 to send a message to the Washington Machine. https://t.co/JAhxD4stAD
— Dr. Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 29, 2015
Paul took to the Senate floor Thursday afternoon and planned to speak until the 1 am scheduled vote. But after almost 20 minutes into his remarks he stopped speaking and left the floor. The deal, which has overwhelming support from Senate Democrats and enough votes from Republicans to pass, hikes defense and domestic spending by $50 billion in 2016 and $30 billion in 2017.
Paul’s spokesman sent the Daily Caller an e-mail statement. “Senator Rand Paul successfully proved to the American people that there is an unholy alliance between the right and the left which has resulted in an unlimited credit line for President Obama. Senator Paul spoke 3 different times throughout the day. In the end, 35 Senators voted to support his filibuster against increasing the debt ceiling. Americans across the nation now know if their representatives in the Senate stood for fiscal responsibility or supported an unlimited increase in the debt limit as demanded by President Obama.”