Archive for the ‘Rand Paul’ Category

Rand Paul: ‘We don’t have money to spend’ for Trump’s border …

Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulLexington mayor launches bid for Congress Trump-free Kennedy Center Honors avoids politics Meet the Iran hawk who could be Trump's next secretary of State MORE (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that while he supports additional barriers at the U.S.-Mexico border, he believes some of the estimated costs for President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for serious case of amnesia after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I dont want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MOREs border wall are too high to justify.

"I remain a fiscal conservative, even on the wall, so Im not excited about spending $20, $30, $40 billion on a wall. Im still a believer that we dont have money to spend. Were $700 billion in the hole, Paul said on CNN.

And while I will vote for money for barriers, Im not voting for $40 billion for barriers, Paul added.

The Trump administration is seeking $33 billion in total to increase southern border security, with the remaining $15 billion going to fund technology, personnel and other improvements.

Another $8.5 billion over seven years would be used to pay for 5,000 new Border Patrol agents.

Paul said Wednesday he supports having barriers in certain locations along the border, but that the price tag of those barriers should be debated. He also advocated for using technology to improve border security, which he argued is a cheaper alternative.

"The barriers, I think we need to look at the cost of them. The people advocating for it are forgetting theyre fiscally conservative and are just giving enormous numbers, Paul added.

Lawmakers met Tuesday to discuss immigration, including border security and the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Trump has said funding for the border wall is a requirement forhis agreement on a legislative fix for DACA, which allows certain immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children tolive and work in the countrywithout fear of deportation.

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Rand Paul airs grievances about Trump, Hillary and aliens in …

As he has done in years past, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul on Saturday participated in a humorous airing of grievances, a practice popularized on the television show Seinfeld. (REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

As he has done in years past, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul on Saturday participated in a humorous airing of grievances, a practice popularized on the television show Seinfeld.

Characters on Seinfeld celebrate the parody holiday Festivus by airing grievances with each other.

For years, Paul has been tweeting his grievances, and on Saturday, he took aim at President Trump, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and joked abouta recently revealedPentagon program to investigate UFOs at Harry Reid's request.

Youre going to be saying#HappyFestivusagain, Paul tweeted Saturday, channeling Trump. Believe me!

Here are some of Pauls grievances:

Alex Pappas is a politics reporter at FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexPappas.

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Rand Paul airs grievances about Trump, Hillary and aliens in ...

Hive: Rand Paul News, In-Depth Articles, Photos & Videos …

Theres a reason Rand Paul has been called the most interesting man in politics. The son of former congressman and libertarian icon Ron Paul, Rand quickly made a name for himself after being elected to the Senate in 2010 by adopting his fathers platform with a millennial-friendly twist, denouncing the military-industrial complex, filibustering U.S. drone policy, and calling to reform both the Federal Reserve and the criminal justice system. Riding a boomlet of popularity among younger conservatives, the libertarian(-ish) lawmaker announced a White House bid in 2015 that saw him soar into the national spotlight.

The Kentucky lawmakers rising star was quickly eclipsed by Donald Trump, who absorbed much of Pauls isolationist, anti-establishment appeal into his own outsider candidacy. But Paul remains a singularly interesting personality in Congress, where he represents one vision for the Republican Party. As a founding member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, alongside senators Mike Lee and Jim DeMint, Paul has tirelessly brought attention to issues like reducing the federal debt, curtailing U.S. interventionism, and protecting individual privacy and civil liberties. While he still holds traditional Republican social views on gay marriage, putting him at odds with the growing majority of young, L.G.B.T.-friendly conservatives, Paul has differentiated himself by standing up to the N.S.A. and Pentagon, offering a critical counterweight to his more trigger-happy colleagues. His entreaties to minority voters during his campaign, in which he criticized legislation that traps nonviolent offendersdisproportionately African-American menin a cycle of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration, hold out hope for a more inclusive, and bi-partisan, future.

Like his father, who ran for president three times, Paul began his career as a doctor, earning an M.D. in 1988 before completing his residency in ophthalmology. But he, too, was drawn to politics, honing his populist message on the trail of Ron Pauls 2008 presidential campaign. Though ultimately unsuccessful, the effort solidified a passionate grassroots base of Tea Party conservatives and libertarians who would eventually support the younger Paul in his resounding upset victory in the 2010 Republican primary race against Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Though Grayson had the endorsements of G.O.P. power players, such as Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell and former vice president Dick Cheney, Pauls fiscal conservative platform attracted support from influential figures such as Steve Forbes and Sarah Palin. His victory was one of the first major wins for the then-burgeoning Tea Party movement.

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Lawyer For Rand Paul’s Neighbor Says ‘Trivial’ Dispute Led …

Rene Boucher and Sen. Rand Paul are neighbors in this Bowling Green, Ky., community. The two have had a long-running dispute, according to Boucher's attorney. NPR has modified this image from Google Maps to obscure street names to protect Paul's and Boucher's privacy. Google Maps hide caption

Rene Boucher and Sen. Rand Paul are neighbors in this Bowling Green, Ky., community. The two have had a long-running dispute, according to Boucher's attorney. NPR has modified this image from Google Maps to obscure street names to protect Paul's and Boucher's privacy.

Days after Sen. Rand Paul suffered five broken ribs, the lawyer for the man who has been charged with assaulting Paul says that politics are not involved and that it was a case of "a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial."

The new details shed light on an attack on Paul in which he was reportedly tackled from behind while he was mowing the yard at his home in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday afternoon. After police were called, officers arrested Paul's neighbor, retired anesthesiologist Rene Boucher, setting off widespread speculation over what might have motivated the incident.

Boucher, a Democrat, has lived next door to Paul, a Republican, for 17 years, Boucher's attorney, Matt Baker, said in a statement to member station WKU Public Radio. Here's more from Baker:

"The unfortunate occurrence of November 3rd has absolutely nothing to do with either's politics or political agendas. It was a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial. We sincerely hope that Senator Paul is doing well and that these two gentlemen can get back to being neighbors as quickly as possible."

Paul's senior adviser, Doug Stafford, has said that the injuries to the Kentucky Republican are painful and can be dangerous. It's not known when the senator might be able to travel or return to work in Congress.

In an interview with local news WBKO Channel 13, Baker said, "It was absolutely not planned out beforehand."

He added, "It's just a disagreement a long-standing disagreement between two neighbors."

The dispute may have its roots in the senator's yard. Citing neighbors and local Republicans, The New York Times says that Paul "has long stood out in the well-to-do gated neighborhood," handling his yard according to his own ideas the Times mentions pumpkins and compost rather than following neighborhood rules.

The Times also says that Paul's associates say he was set upon as he was getting off his riding mower. At the time, he was wearing ear protectors that kept him from hearing any sign of the impending attack, they say.

As we reported on Monday:

"Paul and Boucher live in a neighborhood in Warren County east of Bowling Green's center, in an area where large houses sit on green lots. According to online records from the county jail, Boucher was released on a $7,500 bond on Saturday after spending nearly 24 hours in the facility. He faces a court date on Thursday."

Paul has not commented publicly on the incident, other than to issue a tweet saying, "Kelley and I appreciate the overwhelming support after Friday's unfortunate event. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."

In addition to being neighbors, Baker said that Paul, who had a career as an ophthalmologist before going into politics full time, had worked with Boucher when both of them were practicing medicine.

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Rand Paul: Dont blow up Iran deal – POLITICO

"If [Iran is] complying with it, I think we should stay in it," Sen. Rand Paul said. | Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Rand Paul, who opposed the nuclear deal with Iran two years ago, wants the United States to stay in the agreement even as President Donald Trump sends clues that he is preparing to derail it.

In an interview Wednesday, the Kentucky Republican said he believes evidence shows that Iran has been complying with the terms of the deal, cut by former President Barack Obama and aimed at curbing Tehrans nuclear ambitions. Instead of withdrawing from the nuclear deal, Paul argued that the administration should instead look at a deal that would target Irans continuing ballistic missile program.

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Most of the complaints about Iran dont have anything to do with the agreement. They complain about ballistic missiles and other things, but thats not part of the agreement, Paul told POLITICO. I think while the agreements not perfect, my main concern has always been compliance. But if theyre complying with it, I think we should stay in it.

Trumps visit to the United Nations this week has drawn increased attention to the fate of the controversial nuclear deal, particularly on Wednesday when the president told reporters that he had already decided whether the United States will remain in the agreement but declined to disclose his decision.

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Trump shredded the Obama-era deal in his address to the U.N. General Assembly one day prior, calling the agreement one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. That prompted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to demand an apology from Trump.

Despite the rhetoric, the Trump administration has already passed up opportunities this year to leave the agreement, re-certifying multiple times that Iran was complying with the deals terms.

The next recertification deadline is Oct. 15, and if the administration declines to do so by then, it would kick the issue to Congress, which would have 60 days to re-impose sanctions on Iran and effectively kill the agreement.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the most high-ranking Democratic lawmaker to oppose the Iran nuclear agreement two years ago, also told reporters this week that he wasnt ready for the nation to withdraw from the deal.

I thought the agreement was a bad agreement but I also said that lets see once it passed, lets give it a little time to see if its working or not, Schumer said. If Iran violates the deal thats one thing. If they dont and do other bad things, lets not violate the deal, lets go after them on the other bad things.

But Trump has faced a significant push from hawkish Republicans on Capitol Hill to dismantle the Iran deal, which was uniformly opposed by GOP lawmakers two years ago as well as several key Democrats.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a persistent critic of the Iran deal and a Trump ally, has made it clear that he disagreed with the Trump administrations previous certifications that Tehran was complying with the terms of the agreement.

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Rand Paul: Dont blow up Iran deal - POLITICO