Archive for the ‘Rand Paul’ Category

Mitt Romney and Rand Paul among 14 Republicans voting against healthcare for veterans suffering from burn pits – The Independent

Fourteen Republican senators, including Mitt Romney and Rand Paul, have voted against providing healthcare and benefits to US veterans who came home from Americas post-9/11 wars sick and dying from rare cancers and respiratory illnesses.

On Thursday, the Senate passed the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act a landmark bill that will presumptively link 23 conditions to a veterans exposure to burn pits while on deployment overseas.

Now, around 3.5 million US veterans who lived and worked next to the huge open-air pits will finally be given automatic access to healthcare and disability benefits if they develop one of these conditions on their return home.

The bill sailed through the Senate with largely bipartisan support, with 84 senators voting in favour of its passage.

All Democrats voted yes to passing the bill but 14 Republicans voted no.

The senators who voted against were: Mitt Romney and Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Rounds and John Thune of South Dakota, Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Mike Crapo and James Risch of Idaho.

Senators Steve Daines and Roger Wicker were absent from the vote.

Despite the efforts of the 14 Republicans, the bill is likely just days away from being signed into law.

It first needs to go back to the House for passage before it can be sent to the desk of President Joe Biden.

However, passage in the House is almost certain as all Democrats and 34 Republicans voted in favour of its passage back in March, sending it sailing over the threshold with a 256 to 174 vote.

In that vote, the only lawmakers voting no were also Republicans.

Among them was Rep Lauren Boebert, who was slammed for heckling as Mr Biden spoke about burn pits in his State of the Union address.

The Senate has modified the House version to create a phase-in period for illnesses presumptively linked to toxic exposure, meaning a new vote is needed in the House.

During Americas post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, huge open-air pits were used to burn mountains of trash including food packaging, human waste and military equipment on US military bases.

Thousands of US service members returned home from deployment and developed health conditions including rare cancers, lung conditions, respiratory illnesses and toxic brain injuries caused by breathing in the toxic fumes from the pits.

But, until now, the burden of proof has always been on veterans to prove their condition is directly caused by this toxic exposure and almost 80 percent of disability claims mentioning burn pits were turned down by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Mitt Romney was among the 14 Republicans voting against the bill

(Getty Images)

The bill was renamed in March after the Sgt First Class Heath Robinson who died in May 2020 from a rare cancer caused by breathing in toxic fumes from burn pits while serving in Iraq in the Ohio National Guard. He was 39.

Two years on from his death, the bill passed on his daughter Brielles ninth birthday.

Susan Zeier, his mother-in-law, said that the bills passage means she now no longer needs to carry Heath on my shoulders.

Ms Zeier gave an emotional speech outside the Capitol after Thursdays vote where she told how she has been wearing her son-in-laws army jacket for the past four years to draw attention to the plight of veterans fighting for healthcare and disability access as she and other advocates lobbied the US government.

Ive been wearing this since the summer of 2018 and today, with this bill passing the Senate, I think its time to retire it, she said.

I no longer have to carry Heath on my shoulders while Im advocating for all the other veterans who are out there sick and dying.

Ms Zeier described her son-in-law as a wonderful father who was always helpful and always generous and fought his cancer valiantly to survive as long as he could for his daughter.

See the rest here:
Mitt Romney and Rand Paul among 14 Republicans voting against healthcare for veterans suffering from burn pits - The Independent

Brooks and Britt final sprint to the Alabama GOP Senate runoff – AL.com

U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks is the true conservative in Alabamas U.S. Senate race, but his ability to fight special interests and the Republican establishment now depends on his supporters, he told a crowd in Vestavia Hills Friday.

I need you to vote 10 times on Tuesday. America needs to you to vote 10 times on Tuesday, and the way to do it legally is to bring nine people with you, Brooks urged a crowd at the Valley Hotel.

Brooks is making a final push before Tuesdays primary runoff to close the gap between himself and frontrunner Katie Britt, an attorney and former Chief of Staff for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), whose seat shes running to fill.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Brooks on the campaign trail to speak with him at events across the state Friday. Pauls endorsement and public support comes as President Trump announced last week that he will back Britt.

At the midday rally, Paul stood with Brooks on stage and told the crowd he believes Brooks can win if his supporters get mobilized and bring their friends and families to the polls.

Alabama, Ive got something I want to ask from you. Please dont send us red sauce. We need some red-hot Tabasco, he said of Brookss approach to politics.

America is at risk of out-of-control inflation and the passage of gun control legislation, Brooks warned the audience in a brief and energetic speech. His supporters are patriots, he said, motivated by a desire to improve their country and their own lives, not by wealth or the right to government subsidies.

This is your country. This is your state, Brooks said, And we have evil forces at work that corrupt the public policy debate in Washington D.C.

Final push

In the final days before Tuesdays runoff, Britt leads the race by 16 percentage points, according to the most recent polls.

Britt has 18 campaign staff members and more volunteers knocking on doors and contacting voters by phone and text to get out the vote, according to her campaign spokesperson. Brooks declined to tell AL.com how many people he has working on his effort but noted that his helpers are volunteers.

Financial support from Sen. Shelby and other establishment Republican leaders in Washington D.C. and in Alabama have aided Britts efforts. As of the most recent federal filings from June 1, Britts campaign had over $1.2 million on hand. Brooks had just over $733,000

Without attacking Britt directly in his address, Brooks separated himself from the influence of his partys establishment.

They are special interests and see us as sheep that can be led astray, and we have to make sure that we are still individual Americans, and we have some intellect, and were going to do what our country needs us to do.

Paul lamented that Republican senators havent stood strong behind legislation to balance the federal budget or to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci. He said it matters now what kind of Republican Alabama elects.

If Im chairman of the committee, Ive got to have Republicans in the committee to vote to give me subpoena power.

Brookss campaign took a blow after President Trumps decision to withdraw his endorsement in March, but by the May primary, Brooks was again rising in the polls. He managed to come in second place after Britt, who beat him in 62 of Alabamas 67 counties.

After the primary, Brooks took to twitter to ask President Trump to re-endorse his race. Last week Trump went the other direction, endorsing Britts campaign. Brooks lamented Trumps lack of loyalty.

Instead, Brooks had Paul to fall back on.

Paul reminded the crowd that primary runoffs can be unpredictable because the number of voters who participate is relatively low. Turnout in this race matters for the future of the country, he argued.

We need some cayenne pepper, he said of how Brooks could help shake up the Senate.

Paul rounded out his rallying cry, saying people should stand up against Critical Race Theory. He recalled an encounter with Black Lives Matter protestors on the streets of Washington, D.C. They spat on him, he said, called his wife foul names and threw liquid. He noted the police officers who helped him and his wife get away from the protestors were also Black.

Heres the thing, this isnt about race. Race doesnt matter but morality does, he said, asking the crowd to help Brooks win.

Its about whether you stand up and believe there is a real right and wrong.

Update: This story was updated at 5:00 p.m. Friday to reflect updated FEC campaign information

See original here:
Brooks and Britt final sprint to the Alabama GOP Senate runoff - AL.com

Tucker Carlson: What Fauci’s COVID infection means – Fox News

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Tony Fauci is back in the news. One thing few people know about Fauci, when he says he knows medicine, he's definitely right. He's been around for a long time. Tony Fauci graduated from medical school almost six years ago. He's 81. That means he's three years older than the average life expectancy of an American man. It means he's 16 years past the age at which the average physician in this country retires.

We're not calling Tony Fauci old, but at this point, he's probably not buying any long-term municipal bonds. If you were his investment adviser, you'd tell him to day trade. Yet, Tony Fauci is still working. In fact, he's one of the longest-serving employees in the entire federal government. He's almost certainly the highest-paid. Why is that? Because Tony Fauci is that good. The term "national treasure" comes to mind.

Decent people understand that. Drive through any neighborhood with high concentrations of college-educated professionals with desperately unhappy personal lives and you will see the yard signs shrines erected in Fauci's honor. "Thank you, Dr. Fauci!" they read, capped with a perky little exclamation point with a heart at the bottom, "Thank you for being you."

And you can actually understand their gratitude. Fauci is the man who got us through the pandemic as the coronavirus wafted from a Chinese military biolab in Wuhan and settled over the United States. Tony Fauci was the man Americans look to for guidance. He was our Sherpa, our diminutive spirit guide. "Do these masks actually work?" we wondered. "No, they don't," Dr. Fauci replied firmly.

CDC RAISES MONKEYPOX ALERT TO LEVEL 2, RECOMMENDS MASKS DURING TRAVEL

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the NIAID, participates in the White House COVID-19 Response Team's regular call with the National Governors Association in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus, Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

"There's no reason to be walking around with a mask," he told "60 Minutes" in March of 2020, but that turned out to be not quite accurate. In fact, there was a reason to walk around in a mask, but it had nothing to do with public health. The experience of being forcibly masked was so unpleasant and so humiliating it distracted you from other questions, such as "Where did this virus come from anyway?"

As someone who had helped fund the development of COVID with your tax dollars, Fauci was strongly in favor of you being distracted, so he soon changed the guidance. He upped it soon. Soon Fauci was demanding that we mask up, including outdoors and exercising, even alone in your car, and so we did.

By January of 2021, even that guidance had proved to be inadequate because people are still persistently asking, "Where the hell this virus come from?" So, Fauci had go further. He declared that Americans must wear two masks, one on top of the other, with no air holes to breathe. This, he said, was "common sense," so a lot of people did it. But Fauci didn't rest there. By December of 2020, he had checked with science and concluded that actually one of the main risk factors for COVID-19 was your family's ancient religious observances. Those are the real problem, so Tony Fauci went on NBC News to cancel Christmas.

FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL AT ODDS WITH FDA PANEL DECISION ON COVID-19 VACCINE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 5

VOICEOVER: A warning and a plea from Dr. Anthony Fauci.

ANDREA MITCHELL, MSNBC: Should people now cancel their Travel plans for Christmas?

FAUCI: To the extent possible, don't travel, don't congregate together.

That was a tough one for a lot of people, even the double-masked ones. Americans love Christmas. They love their families. Many of them still love God, but Fauci had spoken. Science had spoken. No more Christmas. So, countless Americans spent Christmas morning alone. But still, it wasn't enough. In the end. Dr. Fauci looked around this country and saw people making human connections, experiencing warmth and intimacy with one another in the middle of a global pandemic. Talk about reckless.

So, Fauci stamped it out. "Going forward," he told us, "You must never shake hands with another human being. That is, if you don't want to die drowning in your own fluids in a COVID ward."

QUESTION: Would you agree that drug and alcohol use increased during these lockdowns?

FAUCI: Well, I'm not sure the lockdowns itself did it, and I'm wondering why you're asking me about lockdowns, because there were not complete lockdowns in this country.

CATHOLIC BISHOPS URGE POLITICIANS TO ADDRESS 'ALARMING RATE' OF VANDALISM AGAINST CHURCHES, PREGNANCY CENTERS

Oh, there weren't complete lockdowns in this country. But in fact, there were. Most people obeyed, but not everyone. Some people persisted in shaking hands with one another or even celebrating Christmas. Others wore only a single mask and those people, we can report with mixed feelings, died, and they died alone because due to science, Tony Fauci prevented their loved ones from seeing them, from holding their hands in their final moments on Earth. But it was all necessary because there was a global pandemic.

In the end, you will recall that Tony Fauci realized, as a scientist does sometimes, based on research, that only Big Pharma could save us. We couldn't do it ourselves. We are too weak and selfish. We needed Pfizer. The entire country was going to have to get the COVID shot, every one of us and anyone who refused would be crushed, yelled at, ostracized, fired.

In the affluent neighborhoods, the place where people believe in science ("In this house, they believe in science) places like Bethesda, Brooklyn and Aspen, the population gratefully complied, but in the rest of the country, there remained cells of ignorance and superstition where people resisted the vaccine.

JEAN-PIERRE FLOUNDERS QUESTIONS ON BIDEN'S LAST COVID TEST

Strangely, at the same time, many of these primitive people also had, somehow, high skilled, highly essential jobs, including in health care. They were nurses, they were EMTs, they were airline pilots and cops and Navy SEALs, but they were all summarily fired. Their careers and lives destroyed. But it wasn't sad. It was necessary because they were killing the rest of us. As Dr. Fauci told us, there were two things we needed to know about this pandemic of the unvaccinated and the COVID shot that could fix it. First was the vaccine absolutely prevents COVID infection. Watch.

FAUCI: When people are vaccinated, they can feel safe that they are not going to get infected.

"When people are vaccinated, they can feel safe, that they are not going to get infected."Simple, so take the shot and you're never getting COVID. Done. We'll get it. The second thing that Dr. Fauci told us was that Pfizer had made something far more impressive than your own body. Pfizer was smarter than nature. Natural immunity was a joke compared to the COVID vaccine.

FAUCI: Theremay be the need for yet again another boost in this case, a fourth dose boost for an individual receiving the mRNA and then the issue of vaccines, actually, at least with regard to SARS-CoV-2, can do better than nature. You want to make sure people keep their masks on. I think the idea of taking masks off in my mind is really not something we should even be considering. It is, as we've said, a pandemic and an outbreak of the unvaccinated.

"Vaccines can do better than nature. That's why this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated." That was Dr. Fauci's message and still his message, despite the fact that yesterday and here's the news in the story Dr. Fauci announced that he himself has been infected with the coronavirus. That's right.

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS AMEND BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED PRETEENS BE VACCINATED WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Dr. Fauci is COVID positive, despite double masking outside, despite skipping Christmas, despite his strict regimen of celibacy and no handshaking, despite four separate COVID vaccine shots. Dr. Fauci got sick anyway. Now, this seems like an important moment. What does it mean? Well, if you live in Bethesda and have a Fauci sign in your yard, you know exactly what it means. It means we need more vaccines. Pfizer is still the answer because Pfizer is always the answer.

Fauci delivered that message today without flinching.

FAUCI: This virus is changing and we need to keep up with it. In order to do that, we've got to do better with new vaccine platforms such as nanoparticle vaccines. We cannot proceed with that unless we get additional funding. Importantly, we need to both prevent infection and transmission. We know that we cannot do that unless we get a highly effective, mucosal or intranasal vaccine.

Okay, so testifying on the need for vaccines from isolation, having been infected after getting four of them. "We need to both prevent infection and transmission."

JESSE WATTERS TO FAUCI: CORONAVIRUS ESCAPED FROM A LAB FUNDED BY YOU

"But wait a second," said skeptics who don't live in Bethesda with Fauci yard signs, "Weren't the first four vaccine shots supposed to prevent infection transmission? Isn't that why you fired all those nurses and pilots and Navy SEALs? Shouldn't you acknowledge the lie you told for years and apologize to them, give them back their jobs with damages and grovel before them begging for forgiveness before you move on to yet another mandatory vaccine?"

"And while we're at it," the skeptics pointed out, "Can you tell us, Dr. Fauci, how many Americans have been killed or seriously injured by the first shots that you mandated? Well, many thousands, we know that, but how many exactly? Is anyone even keeping track?"

Researchers at the CDC, along with scientists at Emory, Vanderbilt and Duke, recently concluded the mRNA vaccine significantly increased the risk of potentially fatal heart damage in young men. So, Dr. Fauci, what exactly is the cost benefit analysis here on giving that vaccine to young men? Be specific.

US HAS WASTED MORE THAN 82 MILLION COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES: REPORT

Now, a normal bureaucrat would have withered under questions like that, but not Fauci. Fauci is a man of science. In fact, he is science, as he once explained. Science and Fauci are identical. You'll never see them together in the same room. There's a reason for that. So, Fauci didn't bend. He doubled down, pressing for the mass vaccination of all American children over five.

Watch here his bravery in the face of harassment from Rand Paul, who is also technically a doctor, but a skeptical one and therefore anti-science.

SEN. RAND PAUL:The government recommends everybody take a booster over age five. Are you aware of any studies that show a reduction in hospitalization or death for children who take a booster?

FAUCI: Right now, there's not enough data that has been accumulated, Senator Paul, to indicate that that's the case.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY LINKED TO DEMENTIA IN CERTAIN POPULATIONS WHEN LEVELS ARE VERY LOW: STUDY

RAND PAUL:There are no studies, and Americans should all know this, there are no studies on children showing a reduction in hospitalization or death with taking a booster. The only studies that were permitted, the only studies that were presented were antibody studies. So, they say, "If we give you a booster, you make antibodies." Now, a lot of scientists would question whether or not that's proof of efficacy of a vaccine. If I give you ten or if I give a patient 10 mRNA vaccines and they make protein each time or they make antibody each time, is that proof that we should give ten boosters, Dr. Fauci?

FAUCI:No, I think that is somewhat of an absurd exaggeration.

Notice the brilliant facility with language here. Dr. Fauci doesn't actually answer the question. Instead, he dismisses it out of hand in a very scientific way as "absurd." That's how a scientist talks. Questions about efficacy, whether the drugs you prescribe actually work, mean nothing compared to questions about federal funding. Federal funding is what matters to a scientist.

NORTH KOREA REPORTS ANOTHER DISEASE OUTBREAK AMID COVID-19 WAVE

In fact, federal funding was the whole point of Fauci's testimony today. He was there to let Congress know that as a man who's been vaccinated four times and still got COVID, he can tell you firsthand, we're never going to beat COVID without more vaccines and to get that vaccine, we're going to send billions more tax dollars to Tony Fauci. There's no way around it. It's science.

But still, Rand Paul clearly more a witch doctor than a physician, wasn't fully convinced. "Where's all this money going?" Rand Paul asked, "Are you getting any of it?" Watch Dr. Fauci's brilliance on display as he answers that question.

RAND PAUL: Over the period of time from 2010 to 2016, 27,000 royalty payments were paid to 1,800 NIH employees. We know that not because you told us, but because we forced you to tell us through the Freedom of Information Act. Over $193 million was given to these...1,800 employees. Can you tell me that you have not received a royalty from any entity that you ever oversaw the distribution of money in research grants?

FAUCI: Well, first of all, let's talk about royalty.

RAND PAUL: No, that's the question. Have you ever overseen, Have you ever received a royalty payment from a company that you later oversaw money going to that company?

COVID SHOTS FOR CHILDREN: MILLIONS ORDERED, OFFICIALS SAY

FAUCI: You know, I don't know as afact.

"Are you getting rich from these vaccines?" Rand Paul asked. Fauci's reply: "You know, I don't know as a fact."

"You know. I don't know is a fact." Now, what does that mean? "You know, I don't know as a fact." Well, honestly, we don't know what that means. No one knows what that means. It is impenetrable, like a Zen cone. It's the sound of one hand clapping and that's why it's brilliant. In any case, we are getting new vaccines, of course, we are, whether Tony Fauci is profiting personally from them or no.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

It really doesn't matter, though, as his fans, we hope he is, and of course, the vaccine makers will need another dose of legal immunity in the extremely unlikely event their experimental drugs were to kill thousands more Americans whose deaths are then covered up and forgotten. That's just common sense, as Dr. Fauci would say. Another round of shots for everyone. We've got to beat this pandemic.

Now, we haven't seen polls on it yet, but there's no question Americans are going to be thrilled by this news when they hear it. We reached out to Justin Bieber tonight for comment, but unfortunately, his face is paralyzed, so he couldn't respond. We'll tell you when he gets back to us.

Tucker Carlson currently serves as the host of FOX News Channels (FNC) Tucker Carlson Tonight (weekdays 8PM/ET). He joined the network in 2009 as a contributor.

Go here to read the rest:
Tucker Carlson: What Fauci's COVID infection means - Fox News

Is excessive funding from the US escalating the conflict with Russia in Ukraine? – ABC News

The war in Ukraine is now more than 100 days old, displacing an estimated 13 million Ukrainians with no end in sight.

But the Ukrainians have so far held onto large parts of the country, largely because of weapons sent from the West that have bolstered the military to give it a fighting chance against the Russians.

While Australia has sent $200 million in weapons and Bushmaster vehicles, it is just a fraction of the amount of military aid committed by the US.

According to the Center for International Policy (CIP) a US-based group monitoring US military spending and weapons Congress has approved $US54 billion ($70 billion)in aid to Ukraine since the invasion onFebruary 24.

The billions of dollars' worth of foreign weapons sent to Ukraine has given them a fighting chance against Russia,but could they fall into the wrong hands?

"If you look at the scale and magnitude and speed, it's really staggering," Hanna Homestead, an associate from CIP, told ABC News Daily.

"When you think about comparing that to some other things in the US budget, our space agency NASA's budget is only $US24 billion ($35 billion)."

"We only allocated $US1 billion ($1.44 billion) to climate finance, which has really important effects in countries all over the world."

Last week, the US pledged another $US1 billion ($1.44 billion)in weapons and aid for Ukraine, amid an urgent call from Kyiv for more advanced arms.

The new package was announced after a meeting with allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels and includes a commitment of more long-range artillery and for the first time anti-ship missile launchers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the commitment, saying it further strengthened the nation's defence.

Loading

"I am grateful for this support. Itis especially important for our defence in Donbas," he said after the announcement.

According to CIP, $US26 billion ($37 billion) of the total funding has been spent on military aid alone. This includes an increase in lethal aid, which translates to helicopters, drones, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, howitzers, javelins, rifles and ammunition.

"This has certainly been the most amount of aid that the US has provided any country, and certainly even more than the aid that we sent to Afghanistan during the height of reconstruction," Ms Homestead said.

She noted a turning point in April when the United Statesstarted to transfer weapons that required training by American soldiers.

"And so that kind of commitment to sending that equipment and sending that training showed an escalation in how the United States is thinking about the kind of support that it was going to provide to Ukraine," she said.

The US Congress has passed two bills allowing President Joe Biden to quickly supply and loan weapons to Ukraine.

Congress approved a bill for emergency funding for Ukraine in March that included traditional foreign and military aid, while a second bill for $40 billion ($58billion) was passed in May.

Hannah Homestead said that included $US19 billion ($27 billion) for immediate military support, while $US9 billion ($13 billion)was committed to replenishing US weapons stocks.

Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, attempted to alter the second bill, requiring an inspector-general to monitor the spending and weapons deployment. He failed, with congress approving the bill without it.

"The oversight is very tricky," Ms Homestead said.

"There are a lot of risks and implications when sending weapons into a war zone, especially this huge quantity in an emergency situation.

"There are a lot of concerns around tracking and making sure these weapons end up where they're supposed to belong and don't fall into the wrong hands."

CIP is also concerned about the possibility of weapons trafficking.

"Ukraine in particular has a history of an illicit arms trade that really took off actually in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union. And these arms were in Ukraine and have actually ended up in places all over the world," Ms Homestead said.

So far the US congress has approved funding until September.

"I do certainly know the amount of weapons and also the amount of humanitarian support, refugee support we've provided Ukraine thus far has certainly made a huge difference," Ms Homestead said.

"I'm actually not quite sure what the prospects are in terms of the longevity [of the war]if we were to cut off aid."

The UK, Germany, Canada, Belgium and France are also among the nations that have supplied Ukraine with weapons and military equipment.

Posted7h ago7 hours agoSun 19 Jun 2022 at 7:42pm, updated2h ago2 hours agoMon 20 Jun 2022 at 12:27am

Original post:
Is excessive funding from the US escalating the conflict with Russia in Ukraine? - ABC News

Rand Paul forces delay in Ukraine aid bill even though final passage is …

You can tell how obnoxious this is from the fact that Mitch McConnell felt obliged to side with Chuck Schumer against Paul in the dispute.

Time is obviously of the essence in Ukraines war. If you want to maximize their chances of winning, you want to get this aid package on the books as soon as possible. Equally obvious is the fact that the bill will pass the Senate easily. It passed overwhelmingly in the House a few days ago and will likely draw 80+ votes in the upper chamber, Id guess. Thats the key fact here. Paul cant stop this bill.

But he can slow it down a little and hurt the Ukrainian effort by doing so.

Schumer asked for unanimous consent to advance the bill this afternoon, which would have allowed the Senate to skip a bunch of procedural argle-bargle and move to a vote quickly. Unusually, McConnell joined Schumers request, a sign that he knew trouble was brewing on his side of the aisle and wanted to signal his opposition to it. No one objected except Paul.

Paul wanted the $40 billion aid bill rewritten to include a requirement that a U.S. inspector general supervise disbursement of the aid to Ukraine. Schumer said no but tried to compromise by offering to hold a vote on an amendment to that effect submitted by Paul. He could get his IG demand attached if he could persuade a majority of the Senate to adopt it. Fair enough?

No, said Paul. The request for unanimous consent failed.

Rarely is Chuck Schumer right about anything but hes right here:

Ukraine is not asking us to fight this war. Theyre only asking for the resources they need to defend themselves against this deranged invasion. And they need this help right now, McConnell said in his own remarks. Again, theres no question that the bill will pass and the money will be spent. The question for Paul was simply whether he wanted to spite Ukraines supporters by doing what he could to hobble the Ukrainian effort with unnecessary delay.

Itll now take upwards of a week for the Senate to jump through its procedural hoops and pass the bill under regular order.

Im showing my cards here: I dont believe that much of the MAGA or MAGA-adjacent caterwauling about the cost of the Ukraine aid bill is on the level. Nationalists have never been sticklers about federal spending, after all. I posted these Mark Levin tweets earlier but let me post them again here.

The ulterior motives are more complicated than wanting to kiss Putins ass but Levins right to discern that there are ulterior motives. I wrote about that the last time Paul happened to stumble across a Kremlin-friendly talking point in public. The populist right and left resent that Ukraine is demonstrating the strength of the prevailing western liberal order on the battlefield at the expense of one of the great enemies of that order. After all, the more effective the American establishment and the EU look in backing the Ukrainians, the less interest American and European voters will have in replacing either with populist regimes of the right or left.

The aid bill has become a cause for populist grumbling because it channels that dubious ambivalence or even hostility towards a Ukrainian victory into a more politically congenial grievance, exorbitant federal spending and the governments misplaced priorities:

I want Russian illiberalism to prevail in Ukraine because itll help mainstream authoritarianism in the U.S. is a hard sell. Why arent we building more baby-formula factories? is an easier one. Levin knows the game being played, though.

Paul is a little different from the nationalists since hes a libertarian and comes by his worries about the deficit more honestly. But hes also a guy who voted for Trumps tax cuts in 2017 without any guarantee of spending cuts to offset the loss in revenue. And as youre about to see, he cant resist lapsing into libertarian boilerplate about America not being the worlds policeman even though no American police are in the field in Ukraine. The Ukrainians are policing their own territory. All were doing is helping them defend themselves, a concept that libertarians normally support ardently in the context of the Second Amendment and gun rights.

Once more for emphasis: This bill will pass. And because it will, Paul knows that holding it up wont achieve any of his stated goals but might hurt the Ukrainians at the margins. The fact that he chose to hold it up anyway speaks volumes about his intentions. I hope McConnell exacts some revenge the next time Paul needs something from him.

See the rest here:
Rand Paul forces delay in Ukraine aid bill even though final passage is ...