Senator Rand Paul voted against the continuing resolution (CR) because he opposes the increasing federal spending and mounting national debt. He has consistently voted against spending bills that add to the nation's debt, and he sees the CR as continuing "business as usual" in Washington with too much spending and debt. He also opposed the CR because it maintains funding at Biden-era levels and does not address his concerns about federal spending cuts. Additionally, he has urged for separate votes on issues like Planned Parenthood funding rather than including them in such continuing resolutions. His "no" vote aligns with his fiscal conservative stance against high government spending and debt growth.
The CR at the time aimed to keep government funded at existing levels for a short term (until November 21, 2025) and mostly preserved previous funding levels but failed to pass, leading to a government shutdown. Most Democrats opposed the CR because it did not include extensions for Affordable Care Act subsidies and health care funding changes they wanted. However, Rand Paul, while a Republican, was the only Republican voting "no," along with most Democrats opposing the bill on different grounds.
In summary, Rand Paul's opposition was primarily driven by his commitment to reduce federal spending and debt rather than specific partisan reasons around the shutdown or health care provisions.
