Sen. Rubio to oppose new spending bill

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) said Monday that he won't support any new short-term measures to fund the government and keep it running.

Rubio, the freshman conservative senator, ruled out supporting the forthcoming measure by House Republicans to extend funding (at reduced levels) for an additional three weeks past this Friday, when the federal government is set to run out of money.

"I will no longer support short-term budget plans," Rubio wrote on the conservative blog RedState. "While attempts at new spending reductions are commendable, we simply can no longer afford to nickel-and-dime our way out of the dangerous debt America has amassed."

Rubio is seen as part of the bloc of freshman conservatives willing occasionally to buck GOP leadership on key issues, especially those involving spending.

"I commend the efforts of House and Senate Republican leaders to deal with this, but I did not come to the U.S. Senate to be part of some absurd political theater," Rubio wrote.

GOP leaders in the House are expected to bring the short-term spending measure, which would cut $6 billion from spending this year, up for a vote on Tuesday. It is expected to be approved by the House and Senate, barring additional defections like Rubio's. 

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