Senator Paul electrified the tea party movement with a come-from-behind primary win over Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who was backed by the GOP establishment, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Like his father, Rep. Ron Paul (R) of Texas, he is a practicing physician and libertarian whose views on issues such as legalization of drugs puts him at odds with mainstream Republicans.
His call for a Senate Tea Party Caucus has so far met with a lukewarm response – only freshman Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas, and two-term Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina have joined – even from colleagues elected with tea party backing. But his following outside Washington gives him extraordinary visibility for a freshman.
In an unusual move for any senator, let alone a newcomer, Paul has released his own plan calling for $500 billion in spending cuts in a year – some five times beyond what House Republican leaders have proposed.
The plan makes deep cuts and eliminates programs “beyond the constitutional role of the federal government,” such as education, housing, foreign aid, and subsidies to Amtrak.
Paul dubs it “the start of a conversation.”
