As the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has found himself cut out of negotiations over his committee’s portion of the GOP’s major border security bill. Paul’s desire to significantly reduce the administration’s requested spending for border security has led to his being sidelined by fellow Republicans. Lindsey Graham, the Senate Budget Chair, has taken over as the lead negotiator, offering himself to the Trump administration. Graham criticized Paul’s analysis as shallow and lacking in thoroughness, despite Paul’s committee chair position. The internal dynamics of the Senate reveal the extent to which Paul has become an ideological island, even among fellow fiscal hawks.
Paul’s approach has also led to a lack of support from his own committee members, with Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, expressing concern about Paul’s lack of consultation with his fellow Republicans. Sen. Bernie Moreno, also a Republican, suggested that Paul would have been better off working with fellow members of his conference to rally support for his proposals. The article highlights the internal dynamics of the Senate, showing how Paul’s ideological stance has led to his isolation. Despite his position as committee chair, Paul’s approach has resulted in his being excluded from the negotiations. The article also details how the Senate GOP leadership is working to support the megabill, with Graham’s proposal aligning with the House-passed funding levels.
Paul has even lost an ally in Sen. Ron Johnson, another fiscal hawk who leadership hopes will support the megabill. Johnson has decided to support the administration’s border security funding request after hearing directly from Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser and architect of the president’s immigration platform. Graham said he and Senate Majority Leader John Thune requested that Miller brief Senate Republicans on the administration’s border security needs to ‘contest the analysis of Senator Paul.’ Paul did not attend the briefing, nor has he spoken to Graham about their differences. The White House has not directly commented on Paul’s exclusion from the process, but has stated its gratitude for Graham’s work on the Homeland Security Text. The framework proposed by Graham would mirror the House-passed funding levels, allocating about $46.5 billion for the border wall and related infrastructure, while Paul’s proposal would allocate a much lower amount. The article emphasizes the impact of Paul’s approach on the negotiations and highlights the internal politics within the Senate.