Rand Paul: Bill ‘Full of Pork’ Shows Speaker Johnson Is a ‘Weak, Weak Man’

The recently unveiled government funding bill “full of pork” shows that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is a “weak, weak man,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Wednesday.

The 1,547-page spending deal released Tuesday night includes a multitude of controversial items, including a pay raise for members of Congress.

“I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man,” Paul said.

“The debt will continue to grow. Ultimately the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit,” he added. “A sad day for America.”

“The Cramnibus is 1550 pages with $100+ billion in unpaid-for spending negotiated behind closed doors,” the House Freedom Caucus said.

The deal, released Tuesday night — just days ahead of the deadline — includes a pay raise for Congress.

Breitbart News reported:

The lame-duck continuing resolution (CR) unveiled just three days before a potential government shutdown strips a provision included in spending bills since 2009 to block automatic raises for Congress, effectively giving senators and House members a raise.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the top Democrat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, explained in 2023 that the so-called “Member Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) automatically takes effect unless it is blocked.”

…

In the 2022 lame-duck spending bill, Congress snuck in a provision to allow reimbursement for a number of living expenses, including lodging, food, and travel while on the job in Washington, DC.

Another controversial item in the continuing resolution is a one-year extension of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which contributes to conservative censorship as it effectively funds organizations that censor conservative media, including Breitbart News.

As a result of the deal, many Republicans are bristling at Johnson, as he led the negotiation for Republicans. Notably, Johnson clinched the House GOP’s Speaker nomination in November 2024, with a full vote to be held in 2025.