Paul: ‘I Don’t Want to Shut Down the Gov’t,’ But I Do Want Tell Obama How to Spend Money

Rand Paul: "I Don't Want To Shut Down The Government, But I Do Want To Give Instructions To The President On How To Spend Money" (RealClearPolitics)

SEN RAND PAUL: I have always voted to defund Planned Parenthood, and I will continue to do so, I think the power of the purse is something we should use, in fact that is a Congressional prerogative. The truth is we haven't really tried hard enough...

It is the responsibility, it is not unusual for Congress to give rule to the president on how to spend money, that is what we are supposed to do.

BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS: Would you shut down the government over this in the fall?

RAND PAUL: I think that is a 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 on a thousand different items.

I don't want to fund, still, Obamacare, I still don't want to fund all the massive regulations that he is putting forward.

The choice is, is the president willing to shut down the government, but there are a lot of other complicated factors: Can we get anything out of the Senate? To get anything out of the Senate requires six Democrats. So far the Democrats are stonewalling every appropriations bill. It looks as if the Democrats want a showdown, and they may well want a shut down.

They always play it to their advantage and say Republicans did it, but my point is: I don't want a shutdown. I think it would be the Democrats shutting down the government if they are unwilling to accept a Republican Majority's instructions on how to spend the money.