... And this is NOT ACCEPTABLE . With Plenty Of GOP Help, Senate Shoots Down Rand Paul's Balanced-Budget Resolution Every few years, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul puts forth a quixotic proposal to balance the federal budget. It's not the financial math that makes it a daunting task, but rather Washington's bipartisan addiction to spending. It predictably fails each time, but accomplishes two things in the process. First, it puts senators who've espoused fiscal discipline on the record as opposing it when the rubber meets the road. Second, over time, Paul's proposals illustrate the insidious effect of kicking the can down the road—as each new proposal requires bigger cuts to push Uncle Sam to breakeven. Paul's first such budget resolution, in 2011, didn't even cut spending. By merely freezing it for five years, the budget was projected to reach balance this year. In 2018, Paul put forth his " Penny Plan ," which would balance the budget in five