Paul's Penny Plan

"How many are left?"
--Col Robert Gould Shaw (Glory)

Senate rules say that if leadership and the Budget Committee do propose a budget by April 1st, then any senator can do it. Because no budget has in fact been put forward by the hierarchy, Senator Rand Paul plans to do so.

Paul's proposal is based on a 'penny plan' design. The penny plan idea is that small cutbacks in spending--just a penny on each dollar spent--add up to big savings over time.  His version of the penny plan proposes annual spending reductions of one percent annually over the course of the next five years, at which point a balance should be achieved between revenues and spending. Where precisely those one percent cuts would come from would be up to Congress.

Paul's budget also includes reconciliation instructions to provide for expanded Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to lower health care costs. Health care is by far the fastest growing category of federal spending.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Rand Paul's proposal is that it promises to smoke out hypocrites--those who talk smaller government but act like statists. One he puts the proposal forth, Paul intends to force a vote on the Senate floor.

Will anyone stand with Rand?