Sen. Rand Paul blasted Senate Democrats Tuesday on “America’s Newsroom” regarding Monday’s Senate vote to defund Planned Parenthood, where he stated the power of the purse should be used.

Paul blamed Senate Democrats, as well as President Obama, saying, “Is the president willing to shut down government?”

Rand Paul: Well, I’ve always voted to defund Planned Parenthood and will continue to do so. I think the power of the purse is something we should use. In fact, that is congressional prerogative. And the problem is we haven’t really tried hard enough. So I’ll keep pressing on. We’ll try to attach it to appropriation bills. The thing is that it is the responsibility, it is not unusual for Congress to give rules to the president how to spend money. That is what we’re supposed to do.

Host Bill Hemmer: Would you shut down the government over this? If it comes to that, come the fall?

Rand Paul: Well, I think that is matter of perspective. I don’t want to shut down the government but I do want to give instructions to the president on how to spend money, not just on Planned Parenthood but a thousand different items. I don’t want to fund still, Obamacare. I still don’t want to fund all the massive regulations he is putting forward. So really the choice is, is the president willing to shut down government? But there is a lot of other complicated factors. We have to decide can we get anything out of Senate? To get anything out of the Senate requires six Democrats to vote for it. So far the Democrats are stonewalling every appropriations bill. It looks as if the Democrats want a showdown and may well want a shutdown. But they always play to their advantages they say, ‘Oh, the Republicans did it.’ And my point is, I don’t want to shut down. I think it would be the Democrats shutting down government if they’re unwilling to accept a Republican majorities instructions on how to spend the money.