Rand Paul Writes Giant Check to U.S. Treasury

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Sen. Rand Paul cut a six-figure check to the U.S. Treasury on Wednesday in an effort to do his part to put a tiny chip in the federal debt.

The Kentucky Republican returned $600,000 in funds he saved from his Senate office budget in the last year, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

“It’s the only budget I control," Paul said at a news conference in Louisville. "It’s not enough, but it’s a start."

The $600,000 -- about 17 percent of his 3.5 million office budget -- is on top of another $500,000 Paul returned to the Treasury last year, according to CNN. Paul said the total unspent money he's returned to the federal government amounts to $1.1 million.

"We watch every purchase," Paul said. "We watch what computers we buy, what paper we buy, the ink cartridges. We treat the money like it's our money, or your money, and we look at every expenditure."

The senator, a Tea Party favorite, noted, "We are frugal from top to bottom."