Sen. Rand Paul said he spoke to President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning about the impasse with GOP leaders. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Rand Paul opposes Senate GOP budget

Sen. Rand Paul is prepared to vote “no” on the Senate GOP budget if leaders do not agree to cut billions in spending from the plan, he said in an interview Tuesday.

The Kentucky Republican said he spoke to President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning about the impasse with GOP leaders, which could lead to a high-profile intraparty defection on the budget this week.


Senate Republicans appear to have ample breathing room to pass their budget even with Paul's absence. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) announced Tuesday that he has returned to Washington for votes; his absence would likely have meant the GOP could lose only one vote and still pass the budget, which is needed to pave the way for the party's tax push. Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, another Republican thought to be a potential "no" vote, told reporters on Tuesday that he would support the GOP budget measure.

Paul said he wants to get rid of the $43 billion in overseas war funding that exceeds federal budget caps Congress agreed to in 2011.

“I’ve told them I’m a 'yes' if they’ll not exceed the budget caps,” Paul said. “If leadership is unwilling to compromise with somebody who is concerned about the debt, then they deserve to lose.”

He said his party won’t budge despite his firm stance, which could risk another split on fiscal issues. Paul also voted against a budget earlier this year setting up the GOP's Obamacare repeal bill, which failed in part because of his opposition.

“These are the people who come to our caucus every day and say: ‘Oh the budget doesn’t matter, it’s just a vehicle to get to taxes,’” Paul said. “And yet when I ask for something they aren’t willing to do it.”

Paul — leaving himself room to negotiate with leadership — voted Tuesday to proceed to the budget measure, which advanced on a 50-47 party-line tally. The Senate's vote-a-rama, which tees up final passage of the budget, is slated to begin Thursday.

McCain said he would vote for the budget but that he was also demanding increased defense funding.

"We have to have that," McCain said. "We have men and women who are being wounded and killed today because we have refused to provide them with what they need to defend themselves. That is a disgrace."

Connor O'Brien contributed to this report.