Political positions of Rand Paul

Main article: Rand Paul
Rand Paul's official portrait for the 112th Congress.

Rand Paul is a member of the Republican Party, a U.S. Senator representing the state of Kentucky, and a candidate for President of the United States.[1] He received a score of 100% from the American Conservative Union in 2012,[2] and his voting record was rated 26% liberal in 2011 by National Journal.[2]

Paul considers himself to be a Tea Party follower, who wants smaller government.[3][4] Paul has said that he identifies as both a "constitutional conservative"[5][6] and a "libertarian conservative."[6]

Domestic policy

Economic and fiscal policy

Paul supports cutting government spending, a balanced budget amendment, and lowering taxes. He has criticized both Republicans and Democrats on deficit spending.[7] Paul has been a longtime opponent of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

He also opposes the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the Federal Reserve's control of the money supply and interest rates. He has advocated allowing the free market to regulate interest rates, and supports Congress' constitutional role in controlling the money supply. Paul endorses H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, a bill, introduced by his father, mandating an audit of the Federal Reserve.[8]

Paul has sought to reduce the funds lent by the Export-Import Bank of the United States to countries that hold U.S. debt. He compared the practice to corporate welfare and stated that it was wrong that we "borrow billions of dollars from China, India, and Saudi Arabia then we loan it back to them again."[9]

Energy and environmental security

Paul supports allowing the free market to compete and dictate which forms of energy to use. He opposes subsidizing energy companies, but would support allowing tax breaks for companies that produce alternative energy such as wind, solar, or geothermal. He has said that subsidizing the energy industry will only add incentive for companies to lobby the federal government.[10]

National security and defense policy

Paul opposes the USA PATRIOT Act, including warrantless searches.[11] He has also proposed that the TSA be eliminated[12] and opposes the extrajudicial killing of American citizens in the United States who are terrorism suspects.[13] He did however express support for domestic use of armed drones for law enforcement to use.[14]

Paul says that American citizens have a right to privacy.[15]

Paul voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA)[16] and 2013,[17] both of which contain provisions in it that allow the US government to indefinitely detain US citizens without due process. He did however vote for the Feinstein-Lee NDAA Amendment to the NDAA 2013,[18] which added in Section 1033 which states: "An authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States apprehended in the United States, unless an Act of Congress expressly authorizes such detention."[19][20][21] Civil liberties groups, such as the ACLU, were concerned with this amendment because they think anyone on American soil should be given a trial if accused of a crime, given that the U.S. Constitution protects "persons," rather than "citizens."[18][22][23][24] and also worried that the amendment could be construed to actually imply that the U.S. government has the constitutional authority for indefinite detention without charge and trial.[18][25]

In 2014 Paul denied that Gaddafi had plotted terrorist attacks against the United States.[26]

Abortion and bioethics

Paul is opposed to abortion.[27][28][29][30] However, in a 2013 interview he said that he would not oppose abortion in some individual cases involving a woman's health.[31] He opposes the use of federal, state, or local government funds for abortion.[29]

During a 2014 CNN interview with Pete Hamby, he said that he supported the use of medications (such as the morning-after pill) to prevent pregnancy because Plan B is basically "taking two birth control pills in the morning and two in the evening and I'm not opposed to that".

Describing himself as "100% pro life," Paul has said, "I believe life begins at conception and it is the duty of our government to protect this life.... I have stated many times that I will always vote for any and all legislation that would end abortion or lead us in the direction of ending abortion."[32] He has been a sponsor or cosponsor of several legislative measures to effectively ban virtually all abortions by recognizing a legal right to life of human embryos from the moment of fertilization.[33][34][35][36][37]

Paul favors a federal ban on abortion, but he has said that until the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade or the nation passes a constitutional amendment to ban abortions nationwide, the legality of abortion should be left to the individual states to decide without federal involvement.[38]

During his senate campaign, Paul said he received a 100% pro-life score on a Kentucky Right to Life survey[39] and said he had indicated on the survey form that he opposed human cloning for use in embryonic stem-cell research or medical treatments. This was disputed by Kentucky Right to Life, however, who endorsed Paul's primary opponent instead and said that Paul had not, in fact, answered the stem-cell research question.[40] As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time, the Kentucky Right to Life produced a hard-copy of the survey form from Paul showing that he had not answered the question while Paul's campaign produced an electronic copy of the form showing that he had answered the question.[40][41] He received a perfect score from the National Right to Life Committee.

Civil rights

Same-sex marriage

Rand Paul does not endorse same-sex marriage, but he supports marriage contracts for same-sex couples.[42] He stated: "You could have both traditional marriage, which I believe in. And then you could also have the neutrality of the law that allows people to have contracts with another."[43] Paul's staffers say he believes the issue should be left to the states to decide.[44][45] He has said he thought that the Supreme Court's ruling in Windsor v. United States, which struck down the portion of the Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage at a federal level (as between a man and a woman), was appropriate.[46]

In April 2013, in an interview with the National Review, he said, "I'm an old-fashioned traditionalist. I believe in the historic and religious definition of marriage," and "That being said, I'm not for eliminating contracts between adults. I think there are ways to make the tax code more neutral, so it doesn't mention marriage. Then we don't have to redefine what marriage is; we just don't have marriage in the tax code."[47]

Police militarization

In a 2014 op-ed in Time magazine, Paul criticized the increased militarization of law enforcement.[48] Paul noted: "When you couple this militarization of law enforcement with an erosion of civil liberties and due process that allows the police to become judge and jury—national security letters, no-knock searches, broad general warrants, pre-conviction forfeiture—we begin to have a very serious problem on our hands." Paul believes that the criminal justice system unjustly impacts African Americans, noting that "Anyone who thinks that race does not still, even if inadvertently, skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention." Paul believes the militarization of police has been caused by the US Federal Government through subsidies, equipment, and other incentives as well as the drug war by its creation of a "culture of violence."[49]

Anti-discrimination legislation

In a 2002 letter to the Bowling Green Daily News, Paul said that the U.S. Fair Housing Act, "ignores the distinction between private and public property." He added: "Decisions concerning private property and associations should in a free society be unhindered. As a consequence, some associations will discriminate."[50] In April 2010, in an interview on Louisville Courier-Journal, he said "I think it's a bad business decision to exclude anybody from your restaurant — but, at the same time, I do believe in private ownership."[50] On May 20, 2010, in an interview on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, he suggested he would have wanted to modify one section of the Civil Rights Act that dealt with private institutions, while keeping the parts prohibiting discrimination in the public sector.[50] On May 22, 2010, in an interview on CNN's The Situation Room, he expressed there was "a need for federal intervention" and declared he would have voted for the law. Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post felt there Paul had discrepancies on whether private enterprise could discriminate.[50]

In April 2013, in a speech at Howard University, he said "It's a mischaracterization of my position. I've never been against the Civil Rights Act, ever, and I continue to be for the Civil Rights Act as well as the Voting Rights Act. There was one interview that had a long, extended conversation about the ramifications beyond race, and I have been concerned about the ramifications of certain portions of the Civil Rights Act beyond race, as they are now being applied to smoking, menus, listing calories and things on menus, and guns. And so I do question some of the ramifications and the extensions but I never questioned the Civil Rights Act and never came out in opposition to the Civil Rights Act or ever introduced anything to alter the Civil Rights Act."[50]

On July 10, 2013, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by private sector employers with at least 15 employees.[51] Paul had introduced an amendment to broaden the religious exemptions to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but failed to show up for the committee hearing for it.[52] A day after the vote, he said "All I can say is, we have a zero tolerance policy for anybody who displays discriminatory behavior or belief in discriminating against people based on the color of their skin, their religion, their sexual orientation, anything like that,"[53] In November 2013, he once again voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.[54] After the Senate passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, he stated that his vote had nothing to do with supporting employment discrimination, but his support for Sen. Pat Toomey's amendment that would exempt religious groups to the bill. After Toomey's amendment was defeated in the Senate, he said it was nearly impossible for him to support Employment Non-Discrimination Act as it stood, thus leaving the possibility of Rand Paul voting for a future Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill, but only with stronger religious exceptions to it.[55]

Felon disenfranchisement

Paul supported a Kentucky bill that would restore voting rights to felons after a five-year waiting period. The current system requires felons to petition the governor for a partial pardon.[56][57]

Education

Paul supports returning control of education to local communities and parents and thus eliminating the federal Department of Education, but he says that some functions of the Department of Education, such as disbursing student loans and Pell Grants, should be transferred to other departments instead of being eliminated.[58][59] Paul opposes federal regulation of homeschooling.[60] Paul has also authored and shown support for school voucher legislation and competitive public schooling.[61][62]

Gun control

Paul opposes all gun control legislation, a position he says is supported by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.[63] He received a perfect score from the Gun Owners of America. Paul has lent his name to a fundraising effort by the National Association for Gun Rights which called attention to the so-called "United Nations Small Arms Treaty". The description of the proposed treaty, put forth over Paul's signature in the fundraising materials, seeks to establish stronger controls over international trade in tanks, missile systems, warships, and other conventional weapons as well as small arms.

Healthcare

In response to a question from radio host Laura Ingraham in February 2015, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said that while he is not "anti-vaccine" at all, he does think they should be voluntary. In response to a follow-up question on CNBC, Paul stated "I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines."[64] According to the United States FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the British National Health Service,[65] the benefits of vaccines vastly outweigh the risk of rare side effects. David Levitan called Rand's statements "false and misleading" and said that Rand's office had been unable to provide a single example of a child who developed a mental disorder as a result of vaccination.[65] An editorial in The Economist referred to these and other anti-vaccine remarks by U.S. politicians as "Stupid or evasive".[65]

Paul, a medical doctor who practiced ophthalmology prior to seeking political office, opposes federal government involvement in healthcare. He has stated that he would repeal the HMO Act of 1973 that "drives a wedge between the patient and his doctor".[66] He believes that government has driven up the cost of healthcare and causes the quality and coverage to decrease. Paul would support a free-market approach to health care, including tax deductions for medical expenses. He opposes federal regulations discouraging businesses from providing coverage. He supports Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).[66] On Medicare, Paul has suggested higher deductibles as well as changes to premiums or eligibility rules as ways to address what he sees as the program's looming financial problems, saying "You want to have more participation by the person who's receiving the entitlement... by that I mean that they need to be more involved with some sort of economic transaction every time they use their entitlement, and that means they have to bear more of the burden."[67] Paul also stated that he does not support such changes for current retirees or people nearing retirement.[67]

He is in favor of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Following the Supreme Court decision which upheld the constitutionality of most of Obamacare, Paul released a statement saying, "Just because a couple people on the Supreme Court declare something to be 'constitutional' does not make it so. The whole thing remains unconstitutional."[68]

Paul has claimed that the government is understating the contagiousness of Ebola, and this had led to infections in health care providers. Anthony Fauci has disputed Paul's claims,[69] and CDC director Thomas Frieden had previously said that these infections were to be expected. Paul has also called on the administration to consider travel bans for countries in Africa suffering from the Ebola outbreak, a ban that public health officials have advised against.[70]

Immigration

Paul supports immigration reform with a strong emphasis on border security.[71]

He has proposed adding patrols and physical barriers at the border as well as the use of drones, but does not advocate the deportation of illegal immigrants - except criminals.[72]

Paul supports granting legal status in the form of temporary visas to illegal immigrants but opposes a special path to citizenship for them.[73]

His reform proposal would require annual votes by Congress based on an annual report of an investigator general of the Government Accountability Office certifying whether or not border security is progressing. Only if Congress votes to confirm progressing border security the annual contingent of 2 million temporary visas should be approved according to Paul´s proposal.[72]

Paul voted against the bipartisan immigration reform bill of 2013 after an amendment he proposed that would have established this procedure was rejected by the Senate.[74]

His proposal would allow illegal immigrants who obtained a temporary visa eventually to apply for permanent residency or citizenship but Paul opposes the establishment of additional annual contingents for illegal immigrants stating that "...[they would] get in the normal line that everyone else gets."[75]

He opposes birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.[76] Paul has said that courts should review the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof," to conclude whether or not it should apply to the children of illegal immigrants. If court challenges fail, he would support a constitutional amendment that would deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants who are born in the United States.[77] Paul has also said that the state doesn't own your children.[78]

Marijuana

Paul believes the issue of medical marijuana is a states' rights issue and that the federal government should not interfere.[79] In August, the Associated Press reported that Paul said he was opposed to the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes,[80] but the Paul campaign states he was misquoted.[79] Paul was one of three U.S. senators in 2015 to introduce a bipartisan bill, CARERS, that would legalize medical marijuana under federal law.[81]

Though Paul describes himself as a "social conservative," he was nonetheless described by the AP reporter as holding "libertarian leanings on drugs" as well as believing some drug sentences were too harsh.[80] He announced plans to propose eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana possession in November 2012.[82] Paul is a critic of the "War on Drugs" and does not believe marijuana users should be put in jail. He supports the legalization of hemp for industrial purposes.[83]

Structure of government

Paul supports term limits, a balanced budget amendment, and the Read the Bills Act, in addition to the widespread reduction of federal spending and taxation.

Mandatory minimum sentencing

Paul has expressed doubt about the fairness of mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines, which require judges and prosecutors to impose substantial penalties, often including incarceration, on non-violent drug offenders.[84] He believes that these laws are applied disproportionately to African Americans, arguing that non-violent drug offenses have contributed to a third of African American males being unable to vote.

Campaign finance reform

Paul opposes the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 and has called it a "dangerous piece of legislation".[85] Instead, he supports regulating the contracts given out by Congress and placing limits on corporations receiving government contracts. He opposes legislation limiting the amount of money individuals, corporations, and organizations can give to candidates. Additionally, Paul has proposed "mandating a clause in all federal contracts over $1 million that requires the recipient to pledge not to lobby government or contribute to campaigns during the terms of the contract."[85][86]

Foreign policy

Paul holds that the primary Constitutional function of the federal government is national defense, and that the greatest national security threat is the lack of border security. He supports eliminating issuance of visas to people from "about ten rogue nations." He supports trying terrorists caught on the battlefield in military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Paul believes that when the United States goes to war, Congress must declare war as mandated by the United States Constitution.[87]

According to the Huffington Post, unlike his more stridently "non-interventionist" father, Paul sees a role for American armed forces abroad, including in permanent foreign military bases.[88]

Paul has announced his "strong opposition" towards granting Obama fast-track authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has called for Obama to finish the negotiations in just a few months.[89][90]

Kurdistan

Paul opposes the Obama administration's "One Iraq" policy (which attempts to preserve Iraq as a union of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites), and instead advocates Kurdish independence: “I would draw new lines for Kurdistan and I would promise them a country.”[91] Paul also advocates immediate change in the way American weapons are delivered to the Kurdistan Regional Government: "The arms are going through Baghdad to get to the Kurds and they’re being siphoned off and they’re not getting what they need ... I think any arms coming from us or coming from any European countries ought to go directly to the Kurds.”

Afghanistan and Iraq

During his 2010 Senate campaign Paul questioned the idea that U.S. Middle East policy is "killing more terrorists than it creates." He supported the war in Afghanistan and opposed rapid withdrawal from Iraq.[92] He says he would have voted against the invasion of Iraq and questioned whether the intelligence was manipulated.[93]

Upon returning from a week-long trip to the Middle East, Paul asserted "it is none of our business whether Israel builds new neighborhoods in east Jerusalem or withdraws from the Golan Heights; the U.S. should not tell Israel how to defend itself.[94]

Paul reiterated that the U.S. needs to reassess who it is giving financial and military assistance to. He said the U.S. should begin cutting aid to countries who are burning the U.S. flag and chanting 'Death to America.' Paul raised concerns on continuing to give weapons and financial aid to Egypt. The Senator said he was "very disappointed that after giving Egypt $60 billion in financial assistance over the past 30 years, Egyptian rioters climbed onto the roof of the U.S. Embassy, took down the U.S. flag and burned it. That should never have happened and is inexcusable."[94]

Paul also spoke against U.S. overseas military bases.[95]

In 2009, Paul put forth the theory that Dick Cheney exploited the September 11 attacks in order to push for war against Iraq so that Halliburton, Cheney's old company, would profit from it.[96]

Reducing foreign aid to Israel

Paul called for reducing foreign aid to Israel,[97] but when later asked to clarify his position he said he has never proposed any legislation to do so.[98] In 2011, Paul had proposed budget cuts of US$500 billion from the federal budget in part by cutting off foreign aid to all countries, including financial grants to Israel,[99] and in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2011 he pointedly said he would favor a halt to U.S. aid to Israel.[100][101]

Paul stated that the portrayal in the media stating that "Rand Paul wants to end aid to Israel" are "not true, inappropriate and inflammatory".[102]

References

  1. ↑ Rand Paul: 'I am running for president'
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Senator Rand Paul's special interest group ratings". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  3. ↑ Fineman, Howard (July 12, 2013). "Rand Paul Torn Between Tea Party Fire, White House Dreams". Huffington Post.
  4. ↑ "Tea party State of the Union 2013 rebuttal: Rand Paul response (full text, video)". POLITICO. February 12, 2013.
  5. ↑ Paul, Rand (August 9, 2010). "Rand Paul, libertarian? Not quite.". USA Today.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Sen. Rand Paul talks CPAC straw poll victory, looks ahead to 2016". Hannity with Sean Hannity (Fox News Network). March 18, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Taxes & Debt | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Inflation". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Senate Votes on Paul Amendment to Export-Import Bank Reauthorization."
  10. ↑ "Energy Innovation". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Privacy & Liberty | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Rand Paul has a quick fix for TSA: Pull the plug".
  13. ↑ "Sen. Paul: 'Frightening' Holder won't rule out domestic drone strikes."
  14. ↑ "Rand Paul's reversal: I don't care if a drone kills a liquor store robber with $50 in cash"
  15. ↑ "Paul threatens hold on FBI nominee over domestic drone policy."
  16. ↑ "H.R. 1540 (112th): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (On the Conference Report)"
  17. ↑ "H.R. 4310 (112th): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (On the Conference Report)"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Serwer, Jones (November 29, 2012). "Will Congress End Indefinite Detention of Americans?". Mother Jones (magazine). Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress (2011 - 2012) S.AMDT.3018". GovTrack. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Congressional Record 112th Congress (2011-2012) - TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - November 27, 2012)". GovTrack. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  21. ↑ Feinstein, Dianne. "Detention Amendment No. 3018" (PDF). Dianne Feinstein. Lawfare Blog - Hard National Security Choices. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  22. ↑ Anders, Chris (November 29, 2012). "Don't Be Fooled by New NDAA Detention Amendment". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  23. ↑ Wolf, Naomi (December 5, 2012). "Feinstein amendment doubles down on NDAA's assault on constitutional rights". The Guardian. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  24. ↑ Savage, Charlie (November 30, 2012). "Senate Votes to Curb Indefinite Detention". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  25. ↑ Gale Courey Toensing (December 6, 2012). "Senate Passes 2013 National Defense Authorization Act; Feinstein Amendment May Extend Indefinite Detention Power". Indian Country. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Rand Paul on ISIS Plan."
  27. ↑ Urbina, Ian (November 25, 2009). "In Kentucky, a Senate candidate with a pedigree for agitation". New York Times.
  28. ↑ Associated Press (November 11, 2009). "Ron Paul's son borrows tactics for Senate bid in Kentucky". Courier & Press (Evansville, IN).
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "KRLA-Political Action Committee May 18, 2010 Primary Election Candidate Questionnaire" (PDF). Kentucky Right to Life Association. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  30. ↑ Saltonstall, David (May 20, 2010). "New hero of Tea Party Rand Paul is so conservative he scares Dick Cheney". New York Daily News.
  31. ↑ "Wolf Blitzer interview with Senator Rand Paul". The Situation Room (CNN). March 19, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Sanctity of Life". Rand Paul US Senate website. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  33. ↑ Viebeck, Elise (March 15, 2013). "Rand Paul floats fetal rights bill". The Hill.
  34. ↑ Kasperowicz, Pete (June 26, 2012). "Reid vows to block vote on Paul's 'life at conception' amendment to flood bill". The Hill.
  35. ↑ Ryan Lizza (8 Oct 2014). "Rand Paul’s Personhood Problem". New Yorker.
  36. ↑ Lynch, Rene (May 12, 2012). "Sen. Rand Paul: Didn't think Obama's view 'could get any gayer'". Los Angeles Times.
  37. ↑ Daly, Corbett B. (June 15, 2012). "Rand Paul says U.S. needs a reawakening from 'spiritual crisis'". CBS News.
  38. ↑ Brammer, Jack (February 25, 2010). "Kentucky's GOP Senate candidates spar over who is more pro-life". Alaska Daily News. Lexington Herald-Leader.
  39. ↑ KY Right To Life – Rand Paul 100% Pro Life – See for yourself RandPaul2010.com April 22, 2010
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Amanda Van Benschoten Ky. Right to Life disputes Paul NKY.com (The Cincinnati Enquirer) April 21, 2010
  41. ↑ "Kentucky Politics » Paul, Grayson spar on abortion, earmarks". Election 2010. Cincinnati.com. April 23, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  42. ↑ ttp://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/12/politics/rand-paul-same-sex-marriage
  43. ↑ http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/12/politics/rand-paul-same-sex-marriage/
  44. ↑ In Kentucky, a Senate Candidate With a Pedigree for Agitation
  45. ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/why-social-conservatives-could-be-in-trouble
  46. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/06/rand-paul-on-gay-mmarriage-gop-needs-to-agree-to-disagree/
  47. ↑ Rand Paul's Big Fight
  48. ↑ http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
  49. ↑ http://time.com/3605426/ferguson-michael-brown-darren-wilson-rand-paul/
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 Kessler, Glenn (April 11, 2013). "Rand Paul's rewriting of his own remarks on the Civil Rights Act." The Washington Post
  51. ↑ Good, Chris (July 10, 2013). "Senate Committee Approves Ban on Anti-Gay Employer Discrimination." ABC News
  52. ↑ Margolin, Emma (July 10, 2013). "Senate committee: You can't be fired for being gay" msnbc
  53. ↑ Israel, Josh (July 11, 2013). "Rand Paul Has 'Zero Tolerance For Discrimination' But Votes To Keep It Legal" ABC News
  54. ↑ S. 815: Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013
  55. ↑ Rand, Paul (November 14, 2013). "Rand Paul | C-J's characterization of senators' votes was shameful" Courier Journal
  56. ↑ Youngman, Sam (February 19, 2014). "Bill restoring felons' voting rights passes Senate with five-year waiting period". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  57. ↑ Grovum, Jake (February 21, 2014). "Voting rights for felons on the table in several states". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  58. ↑ Joseph Gerth; Stephanie Steitzer (October 25, 2010). "Charges fly in Jack Conway, Rand Paul debate finale". Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  59. ↑ Kentucky Senate Debate. C-SPAN Video Library. October 25, 2010. Event occurs at 48:02 to 49:25.
  60. ↑ "Home Schooling | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  61. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/03/25/rand-paul-pushes-federal-school-vouchers/
  62. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/rand-paul-wants-more-school-choice-for-poor-minority-students/2013/07/29/88e47ea2-f88f-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html
  63. ↑ "Guns & Politicians | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  64. ↑ "Rand Paul: Vaccines can lead to 'mental disorders'". Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 "NHS Choices: Vaccines". Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 "Health Care | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Schreiner, Bruce (September 23, 2010). "Business group endorses Ky. Senate hopeful Paul". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Retrieved October 3, 2010
  68. ↑ Wong, Scott (June 28, 2012). "Rand Paul: 'Obamacare' is still unconstitutional". Politico. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  69. ↑ Benen, Steve (October 17, 2014). "Rand Paul's recklessness spins out of control". www.msnbc.com (NBC UNIVERSAL). Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  70. ↑ Sarlin, Benjy (October 16, 2014). "Rand Paul: Government isn't telling truth about Ebola". www.msnbc.com (NBC UNIVERSAL). Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  71. ↑ "Rand Paul: Reform Immigration, But Citizenship Not Possible Yet". www.nbcnews.com. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 "PAUL: From illegals to taxpayers". www.washingtontimes.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  73. ↑ "Sen. Rand Paul: Illegal immigrants should be allowed to obtain legal status". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  74. ↑ "With amendment killed, Rand Paul won't support immigration bill". www.cnn.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  75. ↑ "Paul Spells Out His Plan for Immigration Overhaul". www.thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  76. ↑ Estep, Bill (May 28, 2010). "Rand Paul: No citizenship for children of illegal immigrants". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  77. ↑ O'Brien, Michael (June 24, 2010). "Rand Paul supports amendment to deny citizenship to children of illegals". The Hill. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  78. ↑ Viebeck, Elise (February 2, 2015). "Rand Paul: Parents 'own' children, not the state". thehill.com (News Communications, Inc.). Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 Meno, Mike (August 20, 2010). "Paul Campaign Clarifies Medical Marijuana Stance". MPP blog. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 Alford, Roger (August 13, 2010). "Rand Paul says drug use not 'pressing issue' in eastern Kentucky". Associated Press.
  81. ↑ Chokshi, Niraj. "Sens. Booker, Gillibrand and Paul unveil federal medical marijuana bill". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  82. ↑ Raju, Manu (November 13, 2012). "Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution". Politico. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  83. ↑ Sullivan, Andy. "Rand Paul to introduce medical marijuana bill in U.S. Congress". Reuters. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  84. ↑ Knafo, Saki (September 18, 2013). "Rand Paul Decries Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Likens War On Drugs To Jim Crow." The Huffington Post
  85. ↑ 85.0 85.1 Paul, Rand. The Public Trough. The American Conservative. August 1, 2009.
  86. ↑ "Campaign Finance Reform". Rand Paul 2010. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  87. ↑ "National Defense". RandPaul2010.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  88. ↑ "Rand Paul Supports Some Military Bases On Foreign Soil, A Big Difference From His Dad."
  89. ↑ Corsi, Jerome R. (August 13, 2013). "Rand Paul warns of Obama 'fast track' to global trade zone". www.wnd.com (WND). Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  90. ↑ Keck, Zachary (October 28, 2014). "Rand Paul to Obama: Finish TPP Trade Deal". thediplomat.com (The Diplomat). Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  91. ↑ "US senator: arm Iraq’s Kurds and give them a country". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  92. ↑ Nagle, Rob (May 17, 2010). "Healy: Rand Paul victory in Kentucky could be best outcome for GOP". San Francisco Examiner.
  93. ↑ Cooper, Charles (February 1, 2010). "Sarah Palin: Big Tent Republican?". CBS News. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 Rand Paul: Building in J'lem none of US's business
  95. ↑ LaFranchi, Howard (November 4, 2010). "After 'shellacking,' can foreign policy be a bright spot for Obama?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  96. ↑ David Corn (April 7, 2014). WATCH: Rand Paul Says Dick Cheney Pushed for the Iraq War so Halliburton Would Profit. Mother Jones. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  97. ↑ "Sen. Rand Paul calls for reduction in foreign aid to Israel — RT USA". RT America.
  98. ↑ SMITH, SARAH (August 5, 2014). "Democrats hit Rand Paul for Israel 'rewrite'". www.politico.com (POLITICO LLC). Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  99. ↑ Moody, Chris (August 4, 2014). "Rand Paul says he never proposed ending aid to Israel — even though he did". Yahoo News. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  100. ↑ "Rand Paul argues that he never proposed ending foreign aid to Israel". CNN. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  101. ↑ "THE SITUATION ROOM - Transcript". CNN. BLITZER: All right, so just to be precise, end all foreign aid including the foreign aid to Israel as well. Is that right? PAUL: Yes.
  102. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer. "Rand Paul: Headlines that say I wanted to end aid to Israel are inaccurate". DesMoines Register. Retrieved August 11, 2014.