Bowling Green Today

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) took to the Senate floor yesterday to voice his opposition to the foreign aid spending bill. In a passionate speech, Dr. Paul criticized the bill for prioritizing Ukraine over America's own needs.

Dr. Paul began his remarks by expressing his concern for the financial well-being of the United States. He stated, "I care about the bankrupting of America. I care about the looting of our Treasury." He argued that sending money to Ukraine not only fails to address America's national security needs but also threatens the country's fiscal solvency.

The senator drew attention to the fact that a significant portion of Washington's spending is borrowed, and questioned why funds were being allocated to a foreign country instead of addressing urgent issues within the United States. He highlighted the unpopularity of this approach in his home state of Kentucky, stating, "If you were to take this position in my state and ask everybody in Kentucky, how many of you think that we should send $100 billion overseas and do zero for the southern border? Not a penny. Not one policy change, nothing for the southern border. How many people believe that? In my state, it’s close to zero."

Dr. Paul also emphasized the lack of transparency in Washington's decision-making process, suggesting that this contributes to the continuation of such spending. He stated, "It happens because there’s not enough sunlight. There’s not enough transparency. So that’s part of what a filibuster is. This is a talking filibuster today. And the reason we talk is to try to broadcast this message, to get the message home so they can send us better people."

Later in the evening, Dr. Paul continued his criticism of the bill, describing it as a "Ukraine first" policy. He argued that the bill fails to address the problems faced by the American people, such as the high number of individuals living paycheck to paycheck. He challenged his fellow senators to explain to their constituents why they were sending billions of dollars to Ukraine instead of focusing on domestic issues.

Dr. Paul also raised concerns about the implications of the bill on America's defense industrial base. He stated, "According to the Ukraine first party, war is not so bad, war profits make us stronger." He expressed his disappointment that the focus on Ukraine overlooks the devastating human cost of war, with little attention given to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost.

In conclusion, Dr. Paul emphasized that there is no surplus of funds available to be sent to Ukraine. He argued that this money would either be printed or borrowed, weakening the United States financially. He criticized the bill for prioritizing Ukraine over America, stating, "This is a bill that is Ukraine first and America last and ought to be defeated."

Dr. Rand Paul's impassioned speeches shed light on the concerns surrounding the foreign aid spending bill. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how these concerns will shape the final outcome.