Archive for the ‘Rand Paul’ Category

GOP vote against bipartisan relief bill threatens to kill tens of thousands of small businesses – Salon

Advocates for independently-owned businesseswarned that restaurants, gyms, and other Main Street businesses across the U.S. will be forced to close in the coming months after Republicans in the Senate on Thursday blocked a $48 billion package to provide relief to owners who have struggled to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

The bipartisan Small Business Covid Relief Act (S. 4008), which was meant to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) passed last year, was cosponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., but stillfailed to getmore than five Republican senators to support it.

The vast majority of GOP lawmakers claimed that helping locally-owned restaurants and bars to stay open and continue employing people in their communities would worsen inflation and contribute to the deficit, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.,sayingon the Senate floor that "dumping more money in the economy is simply pouring $5-a-gallon gas on an already out-of-control fire."

As a result, said Erika Polmar of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), "we estimate more than half of the 177,300 restaurants waiting for an RRF grant will close in the next few months."

The bill would have given $40 billion to independent restaurants left out of the restaurant relief program which passed last year butran out of fundsin just three weeks, with only one in three applicants receiving grants.

"Local restaurants across the country expected help but the Senate couldn't finish the job," said Polmar. "Neighborhood restaurants nationwide have held out hope for this program, selling their homes, cashing out retirement funds, or taking personal loans in an effort to keep their employees working."

The RRF bill would also have given $2 billion for gyms and fitness centers, $2 billion for live event companies, $2 billion for bus and ferry operators, $1.4 billion for companies near border crossings which have shut down during the pandemic, and $500 million for minor league sports teams.

The Community Gyms CoalitiontoldThe Hillthat although an RRF replenishment bill passed in the House, the Senate "failed to invest in fitness and exercise despite their obvious benefits for Americans' mental and physical health."

"After hanging on for another year, hurting restaurants and bars throughout America, especially in rural communities, may not see any relief despite the House passing a bill just last month to put more money into the RRF,"saidDidier Trinh, policy and political impact director for Main Street Alliance (MSA). "The fate of these small businessesincluding ones owned by women and people of color that were left behindwill be tied to those senators who voted down this lifeline today."

Along with Wicker, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., were the only Republicans who joined Democrats in voting for the bill. The Democrats needed at least 10 Republicans to support the legislation to reach 60 votes required by the legislative filibuster.

"Senators who ensured this fate instead of providing the relief small business needs now must be held accountable,"tweetedMSA.

Tyler Akin, a board member of the IRC and a chef in Wilmington, Delaware, noted that the GOP's rejection of the bill immediately followed a vote approving$40 billionof military and humanitarian aid for Ukrainemore than $7 billion than President Joe Biden had requested.

"Ironically, this filibuster followed a vote to stand in solidarity at a similar level of funding with a group of European allies that handled some of the worst effects of the past two years with far more grace and unity," AkintoldThe Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's clear that those who aligned with Senator [Pat] Toomey today have little or no desire to support small businesses."

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GOP vote against bipartisan relief bill threatens to kill tens of thousands of small businesses - Salon

McConnell on isolationist Rand Paul opposing Ukraine aid: A tiny percentage of Senate GOP – The Hill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) said his Kentucky colleague Sen. Rand Paul (R), who vocally opposed the $40 billion Ukraine aid package, represented a tiny percentage of Senate Republicans.

My colleague, Senator Paul, has always been basically an isolationist. Hes proud of it and believes thats where America ought to be. That is a tiny percentage of the Senate Republican Conference, McConnell told Fox News Bret Baier on Thursday.

Theres always been a strand of isolationism in our party, but its not anywhere near the dominant view, which was expressed in the vote that we had today and will be expressed again when we vote on the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO, he added.

Paul was among 11 GOP senators who voted against the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine earlier Thursday. The Kentucky Republican last week kept the chamber from quickly advancing the legislation after it passed the House earlier this month.

We only had 11 votes against the package. I predict we will have even fewer votes opposed to the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO, McConnell said on Fox, predicting more than two-thirds of the Senate would vote to back Finland and Swedens NATO bids.

The Ukraine aid package that passed the upper chamber Thursday includes $9 billion to refill stockpiles for weapons sent to Ukraine and close to $9 billion for the Ukrainian government to continue its operations and combat human trafficking, among other provisions.

If Congress really believed giving Ukraine $40B was in our national interest, they could easily pay for it by taxing every income taxpayer $500. My guess is they choose to borrow the $ bc Americans might just decide they need the $500 more to pay for gas, Paul tweeted Thursday morning.

Ten GOP senators joined Paul in voting against the aid package: Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), John Boozman (Ark.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.).

The passage of the aid package was lauded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

I praise the [U.S.] Senates approval of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022. $ 40 billion is a significant [U.S.] contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Ukraine, Europe and the world. We look forward to the signing of the law by @POTUS, he wrote on Twitter.

President Biden is expected to sign the legislation soon.

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McConnell on isolationist Rand Paul opposing Ukraine aid: A tiny percentage of Senate GOP - The Hill

Madison Cawthorn thanks Trump, Tucker Carlson, Rand Paul and the NRA for standing by him before election loss – The Independent

The day following his defeat in the Republican primary to represent North Carolinas 11th congressional district, Madison Cawthorn was uncharacteristically quiet.

That changed on Thursday, as Mr Cawthorn posted to his social media channels thanking a list of supporters who stood by him when the Uni-party coalesced to defeat an America First member. That list included former president Donald Trump, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and the National Rifle Association.

In a longer message on his Instagram account, Mr Cawthorn, who became the youngest ever member of the US House of Representatives when he was sworn into office last year, said that it is time for for Dark MAGA to truly take command.

These are those rare and hated men/women, Mr Cawthorn wrote of his endorsers.

There are other National figures who I believe are patriots, but I am on a mission now to expose those who say and promise one thing yet legislate and work towards another, self-profiteering, globalist goal. The time for gentile politics as usual has come to an end.

Other elected officials Mr Cawthorn thanked included Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Paul Gosar of Arizona three of the furthest right members of the House Republican caucus. Mr Cawthorn thanked a number of other far right media members as well.

The primary defeat caps an extraordinarily chaotic period of months for the first-term representative, who saw his chances of re-election fall as he was mired in scandal after scandal while many establishment figures in North Carolina rallied around his main challenger Chuck Edwards.

Just this year, Mr Cawthorn called Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky a thug and said his government incredibly evil, said hed been invited to orgies by a colleague and seen prominant Washington insiders do cocaine in front of him, and was accused of giving improper benefits to his aides and possibly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with his second cousin.

These were not Mr Cawthorns first brushes with scandal. The North Carolina lawmaker was accused of sexual misconduct during the 2020 election, addressed the crowd that stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and later offered Kyle Rittenhouse, the man who fatally shot two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a protest an internship in his office.

Mr Cawthorns antics took a toll. Mr Edwards, a member of the state senate, ran as more understated, responsible conservative and racked up endorsements from the likes of Senator Thom Tillis and former Texas governor Rick Perry.

Mr Trump stuck by Mr Cawthorn, but in the end, voters opted narrowly for Mr Edwards and handed him a one-and-a-half percentage point victory on Tuesday night.

Mr Cawthorn now has just over six months left in his term. If his social media conduct on Wednesday is any indication, he will not go quietly.

We have an enemy to defeat, but we will never be able to defeat them until we defeat the cowardly and weak members of our own party, he wrote on Instagram. Their days are numbered. We are coming.

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Madison Cawthorn thanks Trump, Tucker Carlson, Rand Paul and the NRA for standing by him before election loss - The Independent

Dr. Rand Paul Honors Florek Family Chiropractic of Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week | Senator Rand Paul – Senator Rand…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:May 13, 2022Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recognized Florek Family Chiropractic of Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.Dr. Paul entered the following into the Congressional Record:Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Florek Family Chiropractic of Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.Take a look at any small business owners story and you will find a common theme: determination in the face of risk. Thus proceeds the story of Florek Family Chiropractic. Justin Florek, owner and manager of the chiropractic office, went out on a limb in 2019 and opened his own chiropractors office after spending several years working in a larger chiropractors office in Falmouth. However the story would be incomplete without the mention of Justins wife Samantha, who took out a small business loan and joined him in facing down the odds to embark on this new venture. Together Justin, Samantha, and the rest of the team at Florek Family Chiropractic weathered the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic only one year after opening their doors, and today they continue to proudly service the residents of Ft. Thomas and wider Campbell County.Justin Florek has long been passionate about the bodys health and wellness. In fact, Justin first became interested in the chiropractic field as far back as ninth grade. A school assignment required each student to shadow three different occupations and write a paper on their findings. A teenage Justin shadowed a police officer, a baker, and a chiropractor. While shadowing the chiropractor Justin saw how the gentleman was able to help those struggling with unaddressed injuries. Just having recently suffered a football injury himself, Justin appreciated how much a chiropractors touch and advice would have benefitted someone in his own position. Thus what started as a school assignment led to a life-long career choice.After graduating from Logan College of Chiropractic in 2014, Justin set out to join a larger practice to offer his services to the community of Falmouth. To this day Justin is profoundly grateful to the Falmouth community for the five years he spent in office honing in on his skills and trade before deciding to take the big leap and open his own shop. From Falmouth Justin ventured north towards the Ohio border to settle in Ft. Thomas. In a convenient turn of events, Justin and his wife Samantha identified an affordable piece of property for sale that was perfectly located between Bellevue, Newport, Cold Spring, and Highland Heights. This lucky opportunity led to their venture in small business ownership, which proudly stands today as a testament to their hard work and determination.As previously mentioned, Justin takes a genuine interest in the health and wellbeing of those around him. He remains dedicated to improving the health of others, and serves as one of the few chiropractors in Campbell County that accepts Medicaid payments. Justin takes pride in ensuring that all residents are cared for regardless of their tax bracket.Moreover, he looks out for his community beyond just providing his chiropractic services. He often donates to Northern Kentucky school groups and other local fundraisersafter all, he does owe the inspiration for his livelihood to that long-ago school assignment. Justin is a man who not only cares for the community in a medical sense, but also is a man who bolsters the environment with his good cheer and giving nature.I want to congratulate this upstanding entrepreneur for the dedication and grit he displayed throughout the pandemic, and for navigating the uncharted terrain involved in owning your own business. I wish Justin and Samantha the best of luck and look forward to seeing their continued growth and success in Kentucky.As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Paul continues the tradition of honoring Americas small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to the Small Business Administration and investigates all problems relating to Americas small businesses.

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Dr. Rand Paul Honors Florek Family Chiropractic of Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week | Senator Rand Paul - Senator Rand...

Ukraine, US politicians rip Rand Paul over aid bill holdup

Top Ukrainian government officials blasted Sen. Rand Paul on Friday after he objected to a bill that would send $40 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to the Eastern European country.

The Kentucky Republican denied leaders of both parties the unanimous consent needed for the Senate to quickly debate and vote on the package, which had already been passed by the House Tuesday evening.

We all saw a @CNN video where [Russian] soldiers shot civilians in the back just for fun, tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys office. How many such crimes are happening at the moment in the east and south of [Ukraine]? Price of delay per day hundreds killed and raped. Price per week thousands. Have a nice morning coffee, @RandPaul.

We could have already started using the new U.S. assistance package to more effectively save lives of Ukrainians who defend the democratic world. @POTUS, @SecBlinken, @SenateGOP, @SenateDems and American people were in strong support, and @RandPaul delayed so much needed support, wrote Dymtro Kulbea, Ukraines minister of foreign affairs.

The bill is almost certain to pass the Senate and be signed by President Biden next week, but Republicans and Democrats alike expressed exasperation at Paul over his block on legislation that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) insisted Thursday should be approved at once.

Ukraine is not asking us to fight this war, Pauls fellow Kentuckian said. Theyre only asking for the resources they need to defend themselves against this deranged invasion, and they need help right now.

The package is ready to go. The vast majority of senators on both sides of the aisle want it, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). There is now only one thing holding us back. The junior senator from Kentucky is preventing the swift passage of Ukraine aid because he wants to add at the last minute his own changes directly into the bill.

His change is strongly opposed by many members of both parties, Schumer added. He is not even asking for an amendment [vote]. He is simply saying my way or the highway.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told MSNBCS Morning Joe Friday that Pauls actions were completely inexcusable.

The truth is, this honestly could have been done Wednesday night, Tester said. I mean, everything was ready to go. Its one of the problems with the US Senate when you have one person that can obstruct everything.

And you know, we had this debate back in January that we shouldnt be allowing this, the lawmaker went on, referring to the Senate filibuster. If you want to hold the floor, hold the floor, but at some point in time that has to end.

Paul has insisted on adding language to the bill that would create a special inspector general position to oversee the distribution of the funds.

My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill one that I doubt anyone has actually read and theres no oversight included into how the money is being spent, Paul explained in a Twitter thread Thursday night.

All I requested is an amendment to be included in the final bill that allows for the Inspector General to oversee how funds are spent. Anyone who is opposed to this is irresponsible, he continued.

Paul insisted that he sympathizes with Ukraine and their fight against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin but said the US cannot continue to spend money we dont have.

Passing this bill brings the total weve sent to Ukraine to nearly $54 billion over the course of two months, he wrote. Its threatening our own national security, and its frankly a slap in the face to millions of taxpayers who are struggling to buy gas, groceries, and find baby formula.

In an attempt to move forward on the aid, McConnell and Schumer offered a deal to Paul that would have allowed a vote on his amendment, but would also have required it to receive 60 votes to be added to the bill.

Paul still refused to budge.

While I sympathize with the people of Ukraine, and commend their fight against Putin, we cannot continue to spend money we dont have. Passing this bill brings the total weve sent to Ukraine to nearly $54 billion over the course of two months.

I think theyre going to have to go through the long way, he told The Hill.

Biden administration officials have said they expect the latest Ukraine aid measure to suffice through September, which would be seven months after Russias initial invasion.

With Post wires

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Ukraine, US politicians rip Rand Paul over aid bill holdup