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Rand Paul Stands Tall
Townhall.com ^ | February 10, 2018 | Jeff Crouere

Posted on 02/10/2018 10:24:11 AM PST by Kaslin

Thank God for U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). At least there is one politician in the United States Senate who is concerned about deficit spending.On Thursdaynight, he led a lonely crusade against a two-year $400 billion spending bill that balloons the budget and massively increases the federal debt by over $1 trillion.

Paul continued the fight for hours, forcing a very brief government shutdown, and providing much needed attention to the spending habits of our federal government.On the Senate floor, Paul, revealed the real problem was “Republicans hand-in-hand with Democrats offering us trillion-dollar deficits.” He said that the goal of the protest was for “people to feel uncomfortable" supporting such a huge spending bill.

Sadly, the vast majority of Senate Republicans wanted Paul to stop speaking. They did not like his focus on their embarrassing spending habits. The Senator scolded his colleagues by claiming, "When the Democrats are in power, Republicans appear to be the conservative party, but when Republicans are in power, it seems there is no conservative party. The hypocrisy hangs in the air and chokes anyone with a sense of decency or intellectual honesty."

Senator Paul implored his colleagues to maintain the current budget caps and not support a “700-page bill that no one has read, that was printed atmidnight.” Instead the Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislative package by a vote of 78-21 at1:30 a.m. ET. Hours later, the House passed it by a vote of 240-186.

Joining Paul in opposing the deal were some conservatives such as House Freedom Caucus Chairman, Representative Mark Meadows (R-NC), who said the legislation “expands government spending well beyond the caps, by almost 15%.” Meadows noted that as a candidate he promised his North Carolina constituents to “work to cut government spending,” not support wasteful government spending. In the understatement of the year, Meadows claimed that “We have to do better.”

This horrible deal was strongly supported by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). While the President signed the bill, he did not express the same enthusiasm for the increased spending as the congressional leaders. Trump only supported the package because it included $165 billion in additional military spending that is undoubtedly needed.

Otherwise, he realized the problems with the deal. The President tweeted that “we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want.” He said it included “much waste” to secure needed votes from congressional Democrats. In exchange for the increase in military spending, Congress agreed to an additional $131 billion in domestic spending.

As a result of this bill, the budget caps instituted in 2011 are history and there will be $300 billion in new military and domestic spending and $100 billion in “emergency” spending to provide relief to victims of recent hurricanes and natural disasters.

Even though there is a Republican President and Republican leadership in both houses of Congress, there has been no change in the “tax and spend” policies in our nation’s capital. This will undoubtedly anger many conservative voters throughout the nation who worked tirelessly to give Republicans control of the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014.

Republicans were not put in charge of Congress to keep the same policies in place. The GOP was given the reigns of leadership to institute needed reforms and make critical changes to the “politics as usual” system that created so many problems in our country. Sadly, the “deep state” forces within the bureaucracy make any sort of real change especially difficult, if not impossible.

With such consequential mid-term elections later this year, the stakes for the Republican Party could not be higher. If the base of the GOP feels betrayed by this budget vote and stays home for the mid-term elections, the result for the Republican Party will be catastrophic.

If the GOP grassroots are not motivated, the Republicans will surely lose control of the House and radical leftist Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will become the Speaker once again. This means a far-left agenda and probably a vote to impeach President Trump next year. Consequently, it is incomprehensible that such a bloated budget bill was endorsed by GOP leadership.

Congratulations to Senator Paul, Congressman Meadows and the very few conservatives who stood tall and voted against this bill. Their valiant effort highlighted the hypocrisy of GOP congressional leaders who campaign as conservatives but govern as liberals. If this continues in the months ahead, Republicans can kiss control of Congress goodbye.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: nicehair; randpaul; senate; spendingbill
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1 posted on 02/10/2018 10:24:11 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
RAND PAUL ALWAYS STANDS TALL!!!!!
2 posted on 02/10/2018 10:29:56 AM PST by Savage Beast (An honest man is opposing the corrupt, evil, criminal ruling establishment. Pray that he succeeds.)
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To: Savage Beast

Stand with Rand - the only senator that is willing to support DJT‘s efforts to drain the swamp.


3 posted on 02/10/2018 10:31:56 AM PST by vooch (America First Drain the Swamp)
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To: Kaslin; ducttape45

“The hypocrisy hangs in the air and chokes anyone with a sense of decency or intellectual honesty.” -Rand Paul

“He’s (Rand Paul) going to singlehandedly keep me from going to work in the morning.”-Ducttape45


4 posted on 02/10/2018 10:32:42 AM PST by JPJones (More tariffs, less income tax.)
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To: All

Rand Paul Stands Tall = this would be a pun, right?


5 posted on 02/10/2018 10:33:08 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: Kaslin

I’m always amazed how many Freepers are anti Paul. He was anti neocon and anti FISA before it was cool. No one else in Washington looks out for my grandchildren’s money more.


6 posted on 02/10/2018 10:34:20 AM PST by hardspunned
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To: Kaslin

In the same vein:

https://babylonbee.com/news/republicans-announce-plan-pretend-fiscally-conservative-moment-democrat-takes-office/

If I wasn’t so angry I’d have laughed.


7 posted on 02/10/2018 10:34:24 AM PST by budj (combat vet, 2nd of 3 generations)
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To: Kaslin

From my proposed Constitutional amendment:

SECTION 6. No treaty
....
SECTION 10. Federal employer/income taxation may be levied at no more than 120% of existing rates. Federal employer/income taxation limits/rates/rate thresholds may be changed by no more than 1/20th in any year.
SECTION 11. A federal statutory financial imposition may only be levied/increased/decreased/terminated/rebated/annulled (under then existing law or) with the same day approval of at least two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
SECTION 12. All amounts collected from Federal estate taxation shall be used to pay down the existing national debt and that distinctly refinanced, or refunded.
SECTION 13. There shall be no multi-state/federal wealth or property taxation except that estate taxation and real property taxation in what is now the District of Columbia.
SECTION 14. Effective with the elections of November 2022, the House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every fourth year by qualified voters of the several states.
SECTION 15. No person (or their spouse or child) may be elected or otherwise placed into a Constitutional office for a subsequent term while the national debt of the United States exceeds $25 trillion.
....
SECTION 17. The President shall have line item veto power.


8 posted on 02/10/2018 10:49:51 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: Kaslin

Sen. Ted Cruz caved on the budget when he “reluctantly voted” for it. Don’t look for a medal, Ted.


9 posted on 02/10/2018 10:56:40 AM PST by Carl Vehse
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To: Kaslin

The Estabs have to throw a monkey wrench in the a booming economy somewhere.
Otherwise, we might actually suceede at making America great again.
That would not benefit the Estab.


10 posted on 02/10/2018 10:58:33 AM PST by Leep (The dims better watch it..Trump is CRAZY!!)
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To: vooch

Huh? If Trump wanted to drain the swamp wouldn’t he have vetoed this bill?


11 posted on 02/10/2018 11:01:25 AM PST by raybbr (That progressive bumper sticker on your car might just as well say, "Yes, I'm THAT stupid!")
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To: hardspunned

answer - many freepers are not conservatives, they are gov‘t employees living off productive taxpayers


12 posted on 02/10/2018 11:03:01 AM PST by vooch (America First Drain the Swamp)
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To: Savage Beast

-—Trump only supported the package because it included $165 billion in additional military spending that is undoubtedly needed.-—

No, it is not ‘undoubtedly’ needed.

Eliminate the LGBTQ crap, affirmative action promotions, and senseless wars and entanglements.

That’s good for untold billions and morale as well.


13 posted on 02/10/2018 11:03:08 AM PST by Paulie (America without Christ is like a Chemistry book without the periodic table.)
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To: vooch
"...support DJT‘s efforts to drain the swamp..."

Trump signed the monstrosity.

14 posted on 02/10/2018 11:05:57 AM PST by skimbell
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To: Kaslin

“When the Democrats are in power, Republicans appear to be the conservative party, but when Republicans are in power, it seems there is no conservative party. The hypocrisy hangs in the air and chokes anyone with a sense of decency or intellectual honesty.”

Dude nailed it!


15 posted on 02/10/2018 11:09:43 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (We Arizonans need to get rid of McCain/Flake as all of us pray for Trump.)
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To: Kaslin

I’m glad someone cares about the insane spending.


16 posted on 02/10/2018 11:15:09 AM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
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To: Kaslin

I’m iffy on Rand Paul ordinarily but he is spot on here!!!


17 posted on 02/10/2018 11:43:32 AM PST by ontap
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To: raybbr

It’s become a terrible unspoken rule around here that to say anything less than fantastic about Trump is treason.

I love the guy. Fellow NYer, kicking a@@ on many fronts.

But there’s no excuse for signing this.

Even lifting caps that were put in place already!!

The arguments will be that growth will make up the difference.

It won’t.

GDP will grow and hence the debt will become a smaller percentage. Perhaps.

But we will still owe 23 trillion dollars by then.

There’s NO happy ending in that number.


18 posted on 02/10/2018 12:02:36 PM PST by dp0622 (The Left should know saying Syrian rebels in anost back in Trump is kicked out of office, it is WAR!)
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To: skimbell

I‘ll argue that DJT has to work with the RINO majority, he has limited manuability.

Agreed the budget bill was a disaster - irresponsible and reckless.


19 posted on 02/10/2018 12:10:20 PM PST by vooch (America First Drain the Swamp)
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To: Kaslin

20 posted on 02/10/2018 1:51:34 PM PST by 4Liberty (illegal immigration is a "process" crime too....)
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