Senate Republicans Kill Plan to Slow Government Spending. Here’s Who Voted With the Swamp.

An effort to slow down the runaway growth of federal spending went down in flames in the U.S. Senate, with a majority of Republicans voting with Democrats to kill the deficit-reduction plan.

The “Pennies Plan,” introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY,) was defeated by a 22-69 vote. All 22 votes in favor came from Republicans, with 26 Republicans joining Democrats to block it.

Paul’s plan would slow the growth of federal spending to 18.2 percent over ten years and “would expressly protect Social Security, include instructions to make the individual income tax reforms passed by President Trump permanent, and expand access to Health Savings Accounts,” The Washington Examiner reports.

“Only in Washington could an 18.2 percent increase be characterized as a cut,” Paul tweeted hours before the vote.

“We teach our children that money doesn’t grow on trees, and then they grow up watching politicians pretend otherwise,” Paul added. “Meanwhile, our debt soars past $22 trillion, endangers our country. Today, the U.S. Senate can vote to put a stop to it and change course.”

“If we keep piling on the debt we’re going to come to a day of reckoning. We have a great country and we shouldn’t let it get away from us,” Paul tweeted.

But even that wasn’t enough spending for Senate Democrats, and most Republicans, with a majority of GOP senators present voting with Democrat against invoking cloture and moving to a vote.

Nine senators, including four Republicans, four Democrats and Democrat-aligned independent Bernie Sanders, missed the vote.

Here are the 22 Republicans who voted to slow down the growth of federal spending.

Barrasso WY Yea

Blackburn TN Yea

Braun IN Yea

Cornyn TX Yea

Crapo ID Yea

Cruz TX Yea

Daines MT Yea

Ernst IA Yea

Fischer NE Yea

Grassley IA Yea

Isakson GA Yea

Kennedy LA Yea

Lankford OK Yea

Lee UT Yea

Paul KY Yea

Risch ID Yea

Romney UT Yea

Sasse NE Yea

Scott SC Yea

Shelby AL Yea

Tillis NC Yea

Toomey PA Yea

Here are the 26 Republicans who voted with Democrats to maintain the runaway growth of federal spending.

Blunt MO Nay

Boozman AR Nay

Burr NC Nay

Cassidy LA Nay

Collins ME Nay

Cotton AR Nay

Cramer ND Nay

Enzi WY Nay

Gardner CO Nay

Graham SC Nay

Hawley MO Nay

Hoeven ND Nay

Inhofe OK Nay

Johnson WI Nay

McConnell KY Nay

McSally AZ Nay

Murkowski AK Nay

Portman OH Nay

Roberts KS Nay

Rounds SD Nay

Rubio FL Nay

Scott FL Nay

Sullivan AK Nay

Thune SD Nay

Wicker MS Nay

Young IN Nay

Republican Sens. Alexander, Capito, Hyde-Smith, Moran and Perdue did not vote.