Eligibility Criteria:
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
* Histologically confirmed breast cancer
* Locally recurrent or metastatic disease
* Not amenable to surgery or radiotherapy
* HER2/neu-negative disease
* Has ≥ 1 measurable lesion, as defined by RECIST criteria
* No non-measurable lesions (e.g., pleural effusion or ascites) other than bone metastases
* Bone metastases as the sole site of disease allowed provided there are ≥ 2 lytic bone lesions by x-ray, CT scan, or MRI
* Lesions irradiated in the advanced setting are not considered sites of measurable disease unless clear tumor progression has been documented in these lesions since the completion of radiotherapy
* No bilateral diffuse lymphangitis carcinomatosa of the lung (\> 50% of lung involvement) or evidence of liver metastases estimated as involving \> one third of the liver by sonogram and/or CT scan
* No unstable CNS metastases
* Hormone receptor status not specified
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
* Menopausal status not specified
* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL
* Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN in patients with liver metastases)
* INR \< 1.5 times ULN
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 300 mg/dL (or 7.75 mmol/L) (levels outside this threshold allowed provided statin therapy is initiated)
* Fasting triglycerides ≤ 2.5 times ULN (levels outside this threshold allowed provided statin therapy is initiated)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Oral, implantable, or injectable contraceptives are not considered effective contraception
* No ascites or encephalopathy due to liver disease
* No neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of everolimus, including any of the following:
* Ulcerative disease
* Uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
* Malabsorption syndrome
* No active, bleeding diathesis
* No known HIV seropositivity
* No known hypersensitivity to everolimus or sirolimus (rapamycin), paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation, or lactose
* No history of noncompliance to medical regimens
* No severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition or other condition that could affect study participation, including any of the following:
* Unstable angina pectoris, symptomatic congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, or serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
* Severely impaired lung function
* Active (acute or chronic) or uncontrolled infections or disorders
* Nonmalignant medical illnesses that are uncontrolled or whose control may be jeopardized by study treatment
* Liver disease (e.g., cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, or chronic persistent hepatitis)
* No other malignancies within the past 5 years, except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
* Prior systemic endocrine therapy for advanced breast cancer allowed
* No prior chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer
* Prior adjuvant chemotherapy allowed
* No prior small bowel resection
* More than 5 days since prior strong CYP3A inhibitors or inducers (e.g., rifabutin, rifampin, clarithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, ritonavir, or telithromycin)
* More than 30 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered (alopecia allowed)
* Prior localized radiotherapy for analgesic purposes allowed provided radiotherapy has been completed and the patient's condition is stabilized
* No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
* More than 30 days since prior investigational drugs
* More than 1 week since prior and no concurrent immunization with attenuated live vaccines
* No concurrent oral anti-vitamin K medication, except low-dose coumadin
* No concurrent systemic steroids or other immunosuppressive agents as chronic therapy
* Topical applications, inhaled sprays, eye drops, or local injections allowed
* A short duration (\< 2 weeks) of systemic corticosteroids allowed
* No concurrent hormone replacement therapy, topical estrogens (including any intra-vaginal preparations), megestrol acetate, or selective estrogen-receptor modulators (e.g., raloxifene)
* No other concurrent investigational or anticancer agents
* Concurrent antiangiogenic agents allowed
* Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed