Conservative Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he will force the Senate to vote this week on cutting total federal spending by 5 percent in each of the next two years, a proposal that could put popular programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act under scrutiny.  

Paul told reporters Tuesday that he would insist on a vote on his amendment in exchange for yielding back time on the Senate floor and giving leaders a chance to pass the debt-limit bill before the nation faces default next week. 

Paul’s proposal, which he is calling a “conservative alternative” to the deal negotiated by President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, poses an uncomfortable vote for Senate Republicans, one which it divides their conference. Read Full Story 

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