Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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155 rows where chamber = "Senate", state = "KY" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-holds-town-hall-paducah-performing-free-eye-surgeries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Holds Town Hall in Paducah Before Performing Free Eye Surgeries | 2015-12-29 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | PADUCAH, KY – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul held a Town Hall in Paducah, Kentucky at the Paducah Chamber of Commerce Center. Before heading to the Ambulatory Surgery Center in Paducah to perform pro bono eye surgeries, Sen. Paul spoke with Kentuckians in attendance and took questions from the audience. Questions ranged from local issues to immigration to national defense. Following the Town Hall, Sen. Paul performed pro bono eye surgeries with Dr. Barbara Bowers. Sen. Paul regularly performs free eye surgeries for charity, and since being elected to the Senate in 2010, he has continued to use his skills to help those in need. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-mrs-rand-pauls-christmas-message/ | Dr. & Mrs. Rand Paul’s Christmas Message | 2015-12-24 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul and his wife, Kelley Paul, delivered the following message in celebration of Christmas and the holiday season. The video and transcript can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH DR. AND MRS. RAND PAUL’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TRANSCRIPT Merry Christmas! As families come together this time of year to give thanks and rejoice in the holiday season, Kelley and I would like to offer our very best wishes to the hard-working families in Kentucky, and across this great nation. With the Christmas season upon us, let us pause for a moment and remember our brave men and women serving our country and protecting our freedom at home and abroad. We thank you and your families for all the sacrifices you make. We would also like to extend our prayers and wishes to the families across the Commonwealth of Kentucky – from the horse farms to the coal mines, from the family-owned small businesses to the factories creating products shared worldwide. Your hard work makes the Bluegrass State proud. May your holiday be filled with love and your New Year rich with God’s blessings. From our families to yours, merry Christmas and happy holidays! ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-festivus-airing-grievances-2015-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-23 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ edition highlights over 30 examples of wasteful spending, misplaced priorities, and bad management in the federal government that have cost the taxpayer more than one billion dollars. Of the 31 examples amassed from the past year, a few high-points of the ‘The Waste Report’ include: an $850,000 foreign made-for-TV cricket league in Afghanistan, a $150,000 federal government agency yoga classes, a $450,000 climate change video game, a $250,000 trip for Pakistani children to attend Space Camp and Dollywood in the U.S., and a $104 million subsidization for millionaires to live in public housing. The special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances’ of ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-hhs-investigation-planned-parenthood-tissue-practices/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces HHS Investigation of Planned Parenthood Tissue Practices | 2015-12-22 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the request initiated by U.S. Senator Rand Paul, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General (OIG) Daniel R. Levinson has opened an investigation, including a full audit into the compliance of HHS grantees with the fetal tissue regulations to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance. Originally stemming from videos showcasing Planned Parenthood’s potential violations of federal law, Sen. Paul sent a letter, signed by 34 of his colleagues, on October 6, 2015, to HHS OIG Levinson calling for an audit to specifically examine the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with laws governing fetal tissue research. The full text of Sen. Paul’s letter can be found HERE. Sen. Paul, in response to HHS OIG Levinson’s investigation, released the following statement: “I am encouraged to see the Inspector General take action to investigate Planned Parenthood’s unconscionable practices. Planned Parenthood selling body parts of the unborn demonstrates that the organization deserves not one penny more of our taxpayer dollars, and I am confident this investigation will give further proof of that,” Sen. Paul said. In July 2015, Sen. Paul joined 49 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell immediately following the release of footage from the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing – in graphic detail – the organization’s involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. In the letter, the Senators asked HHS to conduct an internal review of the compliance of both HHS and their grantee, Planned Parenthood, with all applicable federal laws, including those prohibiting the sale of fetal tissue for profit. The response received from Sec. Burwell in August was unacceptable and makes clear that a thorough internal investigation of compliance was not conducted. Click HERE to read HHS OIG Levinson’s re… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-sends-bipartisan-bicameral-letter-president-obama-requesting-expedited/ | Dr. Rand Paul Sends Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to President Obama Requesting Expedited Presidential Investigation for AK Steel | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, along with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to President Obama requesting an expedited presidential investigation into the accusations of steel dumping. Sen. Paul has been engaged on this issue since he was first notified of the situation. In the past month, Sen. Paul has met with community and regional leadership in Kentucky regarding layoffs at the AK Steel plant, sent a letter to the International Trade Administration (ITA) requesting them to expedite their decision making process and make a determination before layoffs occur in December, and met with Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles and other city representatives, as well as President and CEO of the Ashland Alliance Tim Gibbs last week. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We write to bring to your attention troubling developments in the domestic steel industry and ask you to expeditiously review the situation before any permanent job losses occur. On October 16, 2015, AK Steel announced the company would temporarily layoff employees at its Ashland Kentucky facility later this month. AK Steel stated that one of the reasons for the temporarily layoff was the, “onslaught of unfairly traded imports.” Ashland has 21,335 residents and the plant is expected to temporarily layoff over 700 people. If the plant were to temporarily shut down, not only would there be hundreds of people unemployed but surrounding businesses would also be significantly impacted. Similar letters have been sent by other steel companies in other states warning of pending steel plant closures. City leaders in Fairfield, Alabama received notification from the US Steel Corporation that said it was closing its blast furnace and laying-off approximately 1,100 employees. US Steel issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifica… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-reintroduces-separation-powers-restoration-and-second-amendment-protection-act/ | Sen. Rand Paul Reintroduces Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul last week introduced the Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act, which would void and prohibit funding for any of President Obama’s executive orders on gun control that undermines the powers reserved for Congress under the Constitution. “In the United States, we do not have a king, but we do have a Constitution. We also have the Second Amendment, and I will fight tooth and nail to protect it,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-christmas-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special Christmas Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special Christmas edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The special Christmas edition of ‘The Waste Report’ calls attention to the federal government spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to boost the sales of Christmas trees through TV commercials during Thanksgiving weekend. With retail sales of over 30 million live trees in the U.S. every year, the market for Christmas trees is hardly in a rut and not in need of government assistance. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. On Friday morning, all across the world children and parents will gather around the Christmas tree to see what Santa left. Maybe you finally got the kids got the National Science Foundation’s climate change video game they’ve been begging for. Just kidding, we know no one actually asked for that. Even though they already paid for it. But at the center of all those gifts is a stunted evergreen decorated with blinking lights and memories of Christmas past. Perhaps you and the family went out to cut down your tree this year, and maybe it was a TV commercial on Thanksgiving Day that inspired this joyous family experience. But, even if your tree is fake, your tax dollars paid for that commercial. So, why is Uncle Sam making TV commercials for Christmas trees? Well, as The Waste Report showed in our Thanksgiving edition, virtually all crops (including Christmas trees) are a “specialty” product according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This makes them eligible for special marketing assistance grants. Combine overly broad eligibility criteria, intergovernmental bureaucracy, and agencies flush with your tax dollars, and BOOM, Christmas tree commercials. In this case, the Georgia Christmas Tree Association got $50k in federal funds, “to boost the sales of Georgia Grown Christmas trees by implementing a 30 second cable TV ad that would run for four days over the 2012, 2013, and … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-senate-audit-fed-vote/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Senate “Audit the Fed” Vote | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) today announced plans for the Senate to vote in relation to the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed,” on January 12, 2016. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed cloture on the motion to proceed to “Audit the Fed” today, setting up the cloture vote when the Senate returns in January. The legislation, S.2232, would eliminate restrictions on the U.S. Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandate that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in January 2015. In November 2015, Sen. Paul invoked Rule XIV, which allowed “Audit the Fed” to be placed directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar so that the legislation can be called up for immediate consideration. “My legislation to conduct a complete and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve will be voted on in the Senate on January 12, 2016. The Fed operating under a cloak of secrecy has gone on for far too long. The American people have a right to know exactly how Washington is spending their money. The time to act is now,” Sen. Paul said. Cosponsors of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 include: U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and David Vitter (R-LA). Click HERE to read the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-opposes-omnibus-spending-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Opposes Omnibus Spending Bill | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul issued the following statement today opposing the FY2016 “omnibus” spending bill: “Since coming to Washington, I have voted against every spending bill that continues to add to our nation’s mountain of debt, and this bill is no different. By adding $700 million of new debt this year, this bill will continue to fund President Obama’s priorities such as Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, and sanctuary cities. The 2,242-page bill will do nothing to stop the flow of refugees from terrorist countries and expand big government’s intrusion into every American’s internet activity. I cannot and will not support any legislation that adds debt on top of debt and enables President Obama’s lawlessness. Ultimately, this reckless spending will only be hurting the hard-working families in Kentucky and across the nation, and the American people deserve better,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-us-forest-service-building-smokey-bear-laundromat-costing-taxpayers/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights U.S. Forest Service Building the Smokey Bear Laundromat Costing Taxpayers $25,000 | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the U.S. Forest Service spending nearly $25,000 taxpayer dollars to build the Smokey Bear Laundromat at the Lincoln National Forest in Ruidoso, N.M. – all while the closest laundromat can be found 0.2 miles away. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Maybe you have anguished over a coffee stain on your pants or prayed an errant blotch of marinara sauce would come out of a white shirt. Well, it seems the U.S. Forest Service is concerned about laundry too, which is why earlier this year they spent almost $25,000 to build the Smokey Bear Laundromat at the Lincoln National Forest in Ruidoso, New Mexico.[1] The project solicitation calls for converting a single-car garage at the Smokey Bear Ranger House into a six-machine laundromat. However, this expense is just for the facility, the washers and dryers were not included in the $25,000 price. Some readers may be envisioning a remote outpost[2] far from civilization. However, the Lincoln National Forest abuts the town of Ruidoso, and the Ranger House itself is right off of a highway, across from a golf resort and next to commercial shopping on both sides.[3] It is basically just another business, with a giant back yard, off a city street. Even the solicitation for the project notes that lodging and meals can be found within two miles of the worksite.[4] More surprising is the proposed location for the government laundromat would be just 0.2 miles from Becker’s Mountain Laundry and just 0.3 miles to Evergreen Cleaner, which offers laundry services.[5] But when the taxpayer is footing the bill, 0.2 miles seems a lot longer. Ruidoso, by the way, is hardly a small, remote hamlet. In fact, Ruidoso is something of a tourist destination with a Micropolitan Statistical Area population of 21,223 and over 7,500 housing units.[6] Forest Service… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-time-op-ed-lets-destroy-isis-not-constitution/ | TIME Op-Ed: Let’s Destroy ISIS — Not the Constitution | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | In his Oval Office address Sunday night, President Obama continued his failure of leadership and his outrageous quest to turn a necessary discussion on terrorism and national security into an unnecessary and ineffective gun control debate. Let’s be clear: disarming more law abiding citizens will not stop mass murderers and terrorists. President Obama often refers to Australia as a gun control success story. The problem is that the statistics prove otherwise. Between 1996 – 1997, Australia gained control of over 600,000 civilian guns. The country’s murder and manslaughter rates remained the same, while its armed robbery rate actually increased by nearly 10 percent. In 2003, the Australian government took possession of 50,000 more firearms, but its crime statistics still hardly budged. The truth is that the increasing use of guns in the United States has made our country safer. Though the number of firearms in the U.S. has increased by over 50 percent since 1993, our gun homicide rate has decreased by nearly 50 percent. The worst thing we could do for our national security is further trample on our civilians’ Second Amendment rights. Instead, we should be doing the opposite — advocating for more concealed carry ability for law-abiding Americans and an end to unconstitutional gun free zones. Second, we must fully examine and reform our border security, including refugee and visa programs. While the President paid lip service to this fight, he plans to keep the failed current rules in place and allow tens of thousands of refugees to enter our country. I couldn’t disagree more strongly. Today, the question is not whether the U.S. accepts refugees. It’s whether the U.S. takes refugees at this time under these conditions. We can and should accept refugees, but not until they can be properly screened. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, we currently do not have access to any type of database in Syria to track these refugees’ criminal records. As a result, over 90 percent of Syrian refugee a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-full-expensing-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Full Expensing Act of 2015 | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Permanently Expands Section 179 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced S.2350, the Full Expensing Act of 2015. This legislation would level the playing field for all U.S. industries by expanding and extending Section 179 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (tax code) to permanently allow businesses to deduct 100% of their business expenses within the year of purchase. According to the Tax Foundation, this simple tax reform will boost the gross domestic product (GDP) by 5.13%, increase wages by 4.36% percent, create nearly 900,000 jobs, and raise federal revenues by $121.3 billion. Currently, under Section 179, businesses are able to deduct the purchase price of certain qualified business expenses from their taxable income. Section 179’s current deduction limits of $25,000 on purchases of up to $200,000 fail to reflect high costs in the agriculture, food and beverage, and manufacturing industries that make up the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s economy. Hefty startup costs and routine equipment purchases ranging from $35,000 to $400,000 per item continue to act as an unnecessary barrier for young entrepreneurs and aspiring farmers. Full expensing is a vital part of supporting small business and job creation. “By eliminating the need for continual tax extenders and removing the complicated depreciation schedule, the Full Expensing Act will act to promote economic growth and capital investment and, ultimately, bring stability to our nation’s tax code,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-400000-grant-reduce-regulations-armenia-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $400,000 Grant to Reduce Regulations in Armenia in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition reveals the U.S. Agency for International Development’s expenditure of approximately $400,000 in grants to reduce and streamline the regulatory burdens for businesses in Armenia. However, at the same time, other agencies of the government are increasing the pace of expanding regulations at home and spending tens of billions of dollars to enforce them every year. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. After years of complaints from across the country about the burdens of over-regulation, the federal government is finally cracking down and taking a “guillotine” to the regulatory colossus—only in Armenia, and not in the United States. In a glaring display of contradiction, the U.S. Agency for International Development has backed approximately $400,000 in grants to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to reduce and streamline the regulatory burdens on businesses in Armenia.[1] It should be noted, of course, that eliminating burdensome regulations is generally a good thing. In fact, the “guillotine,” as it is known, applies important criteria to regulations, such as whether a regulation is legal, necessary, and business-friendly.[2] This is obviously criteria that our own federal government should be applying to regulations here at home. Unfortunately, the American taxpayer will have to wait to see their tax dollars support U.S. regulatory reform at home. In fact, while the federal government is funding a “regulatory guillotine” in foreign countries, the Obama administration is adding approximately 81 major regulations annually, which is just slightly worse than the 62 added annually under President Bush.[3] And what is a major regulation? Well, according to law, it costs the economy at least $100 million in economic activity, creates a major cost increase for consumers, or… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-defend-our-capital-act-amendment-reconciliation-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “Defend Our Capital Act” Amendment to Reconciliation Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 as an amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The legislation would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. “For too long the Americans who live in and visit their nation’s capital have been prevented from defending themselves and their loved ones. No longer should our citizens have to choose between safety or visiting Washington, D.C.,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the text of the Defend Our Capital Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the legislation can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Requires the District of Columbia to issue both resident and non-resident conceal and carry weapons (CCW) licenses. The District of Columbia will honor any CCW license issued by any other state or commonwealth. Allows for the national reciprocity of CCW licenses between all states in accordance with local states regulations. Active duty members of the Armed Forces may carry a concealed weapon on Department of Defense property. In addition, members of the Armed Forces would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, similar to retired law enforcement officers. Legislation repeals many of the D.C. requirements and policies that hinder firearms ownership, that includes registration of weapons and ammunition, removal of the ban on semiautomatic weapon possession, and restores the right to self-defense within a home. Legislation allows for the purchase of handguns across state lines in the same manner as long rifles and shotguns. Allows for the carrying of a concealed weapon on publically accessible, non-sensitive areas of federal property. This can include post offices, Veterans Affairs parking facilities, Federal Bureau of Prisons Correction Of… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-secure-act-amendment-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “SECURE Act” Amendment to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | SECURE Act: Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act (SECURE Act) as an amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The legislation would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013. Sen. Paul introduced S.2329, the SECURE Act, as a stand-alone bill earlier this year. Sen. Paul also introduced today three amendments to H.R.3761 that would restrict funding to resettle refugees in the U.S. Click HERE to read the text of the SECURE Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the SECURE Act offered as an amendment can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Enhances Screening for High-Risk Refugees Designates 33 countries as “high-risk” and places an immediate moratorium on refugee and asylum approvals from those countries; Within 30 days, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide to Congress a comprehensive assessment of the status of refugees and the screening process, including numbers and countries of origin, failed security checks, information on refugees that do not comply with requests related to security screening, or who cannot be located; The Secretary of Homeland Security shall certify to Congress within 30 days that enhanced background checks and monitoring have been implemented, and that Congress has been supplied with all necessary information on the status of refugee screening; Once the Secretary of Homeland Security has completed the 3 requirements below, Congress can review whether satisfactory progress has been made and hold a separate vote to resume approvals for refugees from high-risk co… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-defend-our-capital-act-amendment-budget-reconciliation-bill/ | Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s “Defend Our Capital Act” Amendment to Budget Reconciliation Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor tonight urging his colleagues to support his amendment No. 2915 to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The amendment, known as the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015, would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. The vote, which needed 60 to pass, was 54-45. Click HERE to read the Defend Our Capital Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the legislation can be found HERE. The video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEE CH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Last week, the District of Columbia Police Chief said that if you see an active shooter, take them down. The problem is it’s very difficult to own a gun in D.C., and it’s nearly impossible to be able to have a gun with you if you were to see an active shooter. So my amendment would create a District of Columbia concealed carry permit program. It would also allow national reciprocity for concealed carry. And it would also allow active duty forces to carry concealed carry on Department of Defense properties. And I ask the Senate and those Senators who believe in self-defense to vote for this amendment. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-secure-act-amendment-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s “SECURE Act” Amendment to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | SECURE Act: Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the U.S. Senate floor today, Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks urging his colleagues to support his amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. Amendment No. 2899, known as the Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act (SECURE Act), would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013, and was introduced as a stand-alone bill, S.2329, earlier this year. The amendment failed passage with a vote of 10-89. Click HERE to read the text of the SECURE Act in its entirety. The video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Mr. President, we spend hundreds of billions of dollars defending our country, and yet we cannot really truly defend our country unless we defend our border. My bill would place pause on issuing Visas to countries that are at a high risk for exporting terrorists to us. My bill would also say to Visa waiver countries that in order to come and visit, you would have to go through Global Entry, which would require a background check. I would urge Senators who truly do want to defend our country to have increased border security by voting for this amendment. Thank you. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-requests-expedited-ruling-international-trade-administration-ashlands-ak-steel/ | Dr. Rand Paul Requests Expedited Ruling from International Trade Administration for Ashland’s AK Steel Plant | 2015-12-01 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced today that he sent a letter to the International Trade Administration (ITA) requesting an expedited ruling on whether or not China, India, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan are guilty of depressing the price of foreign steel introduced into U.S. markets. The letter advocates for the ITA to make a determination prior to the announced layoffs so AK Steel Holding Corporation, and the Ashland community, can incorporate ITA’s final decision into the status of layoffs at the steel plant. Sen. Paul met with community and regional leadership in Kentucky last Monday regarding layoffs at the AK Steel plant, and on Tuesday sent the letter to the ITA requesting them to expedite their decision making process and make a determination before layoffs occur in December. Sen. Paul has been engaged on this issue since he was first notified of the situation. He released the following statement: “This is an issue incredibly important to the hard-working families in Ashland and the surrounding areas, as well as Kentucky as a whole. Since first learning of the situation, my office has been engaged and in touch with all parties to do whatever we can to help. I will continue to stay involved with this issue and sincerely hope for a favorable outcome,” Sen. Paul said. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: The Honorable Penny S. Pritzker Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 Dear Secretary Pritzker: I urge the International Trade Administration to issue a final ruling before December 18th on corrosion resistant steel (CORE) imports. Previous rulings from the ITA and the U.S. International Trade Commission have indicated there is substantial evidence China, India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan are providing CORE imports at an unfair market price. AK Steel and five other domestic steel producers have accused China, India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan of purposefully undervaluing their CORE imports in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-national-science-foundation-450000-global-warming-video-game-latest/ | Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers National Science Foundation $450,000 Global Warming Video Game in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-30 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition uncovers a $450,000 project at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to produce a video game aimed to educate students about global climate change and how to prevent it. The initiative, known as the Climate Change Narrative Game Education (CHANGE), creates a video game set 110 years in the future, which the NSF claims to be “scientifically realistic.” ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. A whole generation remembers the thrill of strolling into an elementary school computer lab, firing up an Apple II computer, and playing The Oregon Trail. Well, thanks to an almost $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, it appears a whole new generation of students will have their own iconic game…on climate change.[1] Apparently “[e]ducating young people about Global Climate Change (GCC) is challenging because they have difficulty relating to its slow pace, with larger effects 10s-100s years in to the future.”[2] How to solve that problem? A video game aimed at indoctrinating kids into the climate change way of thinking. The Climate Change Narrative Game Education (CHANGE), which is being developed by researchers at the University of South Florida and piloted at Hillsborough County high schools, aims to counter this morass by, “develop[ing] a place-based futuristic gaming simulation model…”[3] Of course, the CHANGE project is all supposed to be “scientifically realistic.” The game will involve a science fiction narrative of the effects of climate change on the students’ community as told by virtual persons from the future. This, “focus on the built environment will help students attach a ‘human face’ and a sense of immediacy to hitherto abstract issues of global warming.” The first part of the game will ask students to deal with simulations like severe weather and sea-level rise, while the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-thanksgiving-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special Thanksgiving Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Report Calls Attention to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special Thanksgiving edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The special edition of ‘The Waste Report’ calls attention to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Over 300 specialty crops are eligible for federal support from the $72.5 million program. A sampling of the specialty crops eligible includes: apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, sweet corn, potatoes, green beans, peas, broccoli, grapes, almonds, pears, cherries, carrots, and brussels sprouts. The special edition of ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. On Thursday, millions of Americans will sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. While you enjoy Thanksgiving staples of sweet potatoes and green beans, you might not realize that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the turkey and stuffing, just about everything else on your table is considered a “specialty crop” and eligible for federal support from the $72.5 million Specialty Crop Block Grant program (SCBGP). [1] According to USDA, “The SCBGP focuses on projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops…the block grants are designed to increase the long-term success of producers and broaden the market for specialty crops.”[2] Allowable activities under these grants include some types of marketing, travel, consultants, attending conferences, development of websites or mobile apps, and more. So what exactly qualifies as a specialty crop? You may be envisioning some exotic herb or something new to the market. It would probably something rare, atypical, and thus in need of competitive enhancement. You will probably be surprised to learn that according to USDA, just about everything is “special.” In fact, the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in his April … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-demands-vote-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk-countries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Demands Vote on Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today on the Senate floor demanded a vote on his amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act. Amendment 2843, introduced earlier this week, would block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. The transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks and clips of both floor speeches are available below. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FIRST FLOOR SPEECH CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S SECOND FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT First Floor Speech Mr. Paul: Reserving the right to object. Over a thousand Americans have called my office in the last couple of days and they’re very concerned about admitting people to the Middle East that we’re not sure of what their intentions are. The Boston bombers were here under the refugee program. Two Iraqi refugees came to my state with the intent to buy stinger missiles to attack us. I’ve asked for a very simple amendment. I would like to have an amendment placed in the queue for a vote that lets the American people vote on whether or not we want to bring more people to here from the Middle East, whether we’re doing an adequate job screening these people. I think it’s a very reasonable request to have a vote on that. And, therefore, until I am allowed to have a vote for which I think the American people are clamoring for, I will continue to object. I object. The Presiding Officer: Objection is heard. Mr. Paul: I also ask unanimous consent that I bring forward my amendment to limit and end the subsidized housing for new people to come here from the Middle East. My amendment is 2843. And I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to set aside the current business and bring my amendment forward. Second Floor Speech Mr. Paul: Madam president? The Presiding Officer: The senator from Kentucky. Mr. Paul: The biggest issue of the day is how we protect ourselves from terrorism. My amendment goes to the heart of the matter. Are we sufficiently vetting those … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduce-defend-our-capital-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul to Introduce Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced plans to introduce the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 in the coming days. This legislation would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. “For too long the Americans who live in and visit their nation’s capital have been prevented from defending themselves and their loved ones. No longer should our citizens have to choose between safety or visiting Washington, D.C.,” Sen. Paul said. Top-line bullet points and background information for the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION · Requires the District of Columbia to begin issuing concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. · Requires the District of Columbia to grant reciprocity of concealed weapons permits issued by other states and commonwealths. · Eliminates existing District of Columbia laws that restrict firearms and ammunition ownership. · Allows for national reciprocity of conceal and carry weapons permits between states and for carry by active duty military. · Allows for the carrying of firearms on public, non-sensitive areas of federal property. · Allows for the purchase of firearms across state lines. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-offers-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk/ | FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the U.S. Senate floor today, Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act to block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Mr. President, make no mistake, we have been attacked in the past by refugees or by people posing as refugees. The two Boston bombers were here as refugees. They didn’t take very kindly to what we gave them – education, food, clothing, and they chose to attack our country. In Bowling Green, Kentucky, we had two Iraqi refugees who came through the refugee program, posing as refugees and then promptly decided to buy stinger missiles. Fortunately, they got them from an F.B.I. Agent and we caught them, but when we caught them, we discovered that their fingerprints were already on bomb fragments in Iraq in our database, and yet we had no clue and admitted them anyway. I think we have an insufficient process for knowing who’s here legally and illegally. There are eleven million people in our country illegally, 40% of them have overstayed their Visa. Do we know who they are? Do we know where they are? If we extrapolate those statistics to those who are visiting our country from the Middle East, do we know where the 150,000 students are who say they’re going to school in our country from the Middle East? I don’t think we do. I don’t think we should continue adding people to the rolls of those coming from the Middle East until we absolutely know who is in our country and what their intentions are. So my amendment says this that we’re not going to bring them here and put them on government assistance. When the poem beneath the statue of liberty says give me your tired, give me your poor, it didn’t say come to our country and we’ll put you on welfare. In those days, you came for opportunity. Many Christian churche… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk-countries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans to introduce an amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act to block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. Text of the amendment will be available shortly. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-passes-resolution-disapproval-protecting-kentuckys-coal-industry-co-sponsored-sen-rand/ | Senate Passes Resolution of Disapproval Protecting Kentucky’s Coal Industry, Co-Sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today voted through the Congressional Review Act on two resolutions of disapproval, S.J.Res. 23 and S.J.Res. 24, both co-sponsored by Senator Rand Paul. The resolutions would halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) destructive implementation of the Clean Power Plan, which would require Kentucky to reduce its carbon emissions by 39 percent. Upon voting on the resolutions, Senator Paul released the following statement: “Protecting Kentucky’s coal miners and families from President Obama’s overreach has always been a priority of mine, and I will continue fighting every day to stop the destruction of Kentucky coal,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-15000-grant-conference-balding-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers $15,000 Grant for Conference on Balding in latest “The Waste Report” | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition calls attention to $15,000 granted by the National Institutes of Health to the 9th World Congress for Hair Research. This year’s conference is being held in Miami, Fla., and includes sessions like: Growing Better Hair: Impacting Pre-Emergent Hair via Scalp Condition, Hair Dye, Hair Care, and Robotic Hair Transplants. Hair loss treatment is a whopping $3.5 billion industry and the conference is partially funded by numerous corporate sponsors. Why, then, are your tax dollars needed as well? It would take an average American two years, two months and two weeks before their taxes would pay for this grant. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Maybe the comb runs through your hair a little easier than it used to, or trips to the barber take less time these days. But whether you have just accepted it, are trying to fight it, or are not even losing your hair at all, your tax dollars are going to combat baldness. The National Institute of Health (NIH) spent $15,000 on a grant to put on the 9th World Congress for Hair Research which is being held in Miami, Florida this week.[1] Hair research is not uncommon for NIH and the National Science Foundation to fund. But usually that research falls in one of two more metritis categories, the study of hair for forensic identification purposes, or the study of inner-ear hair and how it contributes to hearing loss. But make no mistake the 9th World Congress is definitely about baldness. The theme this year’s conference is Reflect, Rejuvenate, and Regenerate, and includes sessions like, Growing Better Hair: Impacting Pre-Emergent Hair via Scalp Condition; Hair Dye; Hair Care; and Robotic Hair Transplants.[2] Hair loss treatment by the way is a booming $3.5 billion industry.[3] So, aside from the obvious question, of why is the federal government is funding a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Legislation to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced legislation that would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013. “The time has come to stop terrorists from walking in our front door. The Boston Marathon bombers were refugees, and numerous refugees from Iraq, including some living in my hometown, have attempted to commit terrorist attacks. The terrorist attacks in Paris underscore this concern that I have been working to address for the past several years. My bill will press pause on new refugee entrants from high-risk countries until stringent new screening procedures are in place,” Sen. Paul said. Sen. Paul’s legislation would suspend issuance of visas to nationals of countries with a high risk of terrorism until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies and Congress votes to approve that: 1) Aliens already admitted from high-risk countries have been fingerprinted and screened, pose no terrorist risk, and are being monitored for terrorist activity 2) Enhanced security measures are in place to screen future applicants and prevent terrorists from entering the country 3) DHS’ visa entry-exit system is 100 percent complete and a tracking system is in place to catch attempted overstays Additionally, the legislation would impose a 30-day waiting period for all entries to the U.S. in order for background checks to be completed, unless the traveler has been approved through the Global Entry program. This requirement will be lifted after DHS certifies and Congress approves that: 1) Screening of entrants is sufficient to prevent terrorists from entering the country 2) DHS’ visa entry-exit system is 100 percent complete and a tracking system is in place to catch attempted overstays ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-decries-43-million-spent-build-gas-station-afghanistan/ | Dr. Rand Paul Decries $43 Million Spent To Build Gas Station in Afghanistan | 2015-11-12 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. This special edition draws attention to a gas station built by the United States’ Department of Defense (DOD) in Afghanistan that cost the American taxpayer an eye-popping $43 million. Many media outlets have already reported on this egregious example of government waste, but it is important to draw attention to the peculiar lack of planning put into this project that caused such a significant sum of money to be wasted, as well as, the apparent stonewalling of the DOD special inspector general’s investigation into the project. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Several news outlets have reported on a $43 million gas station built by the Department of Defense in Afghanistan. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction issued a Special Report in late October on the compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station, which cost at least 86 times more than similar projects.[1] FSO dug deeper into the report and found the ridiculous price tag just scratches the surface. To begin with, the IG found no evidence that DOD ever did a feasibility study before moving forward with the project. Had they done so, they would have found that Afghanistan, “[l]acks the natural gas transmission and local distribution infrastructure necessary to support a viable market for CNG vehicles.” But even if getting CNG to the station was not a problem, it seems no one in Afghanistan can afford vehicles that run on the fuel. CNG conversion costs as much as $800, in a country where the average annual income is about $690. This may explain why the U.S. government paid to convert at least 120 Afghan vehicles to CNG. What is strange is one of the project goals was to expand CNG usage to Mazar-e Shariff because of its 100,000 cars. But DOD failed to do its home work, mischaracterized the city as the 2nd largest in the country (i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-seeks-answers-fed-inspector-general-about-fed-lobbying-activities/ | Sen. Rand Paul Seeks Answers from Fed Inspector General About Fed Lobbying Activities | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today sent a letter to the inspector general of the Federal Reserve (Fed) outlining his concerns with lobbying by the Fed and its officials against legislation to bring transparency to the Fed. This letter comes on the heels of new legislation announced last week by Sen. Paul, the Bring Accountability Now to the Fed Act, which would prohibit lobbying by the Fed and Fed officials. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: Mark Bialek Inspector General Office of Inspector General Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Mail Stop K-300 Washington, DC 20551 Dear Inspector General Bialek, I am troubled that the Board of Governors, as well as Board members and employees, appear to be lobbying Congress and the public against legislation pending before Congress to bring greater transparency and accountability to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve, as an entity of the government and operating under authority granted by Congress, should not use its funds to lobby members of Congress or influence Congress’s efforts to create a more transparent and fundamentally sound monetary policy. I request your office investigate whether the Board, any Board members, or Board employees have engaged in improper or illegal lobbying, as well as respond to the following questions: 1. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on public relations? 2. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on lobbying Congress? 3. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on conferences, travel, or other entertainment? Sincerely, Sen. Rand Paul No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-exposes-medicare-overpaying-estimated-175-million-sleep-apnea-studies-latest/ | Dr. Rand Paul Exposes Medicare Overpaying an Estimated $175 Million on Sleep Apnea Studies in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-09 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes Medicare overpaying as much as $175 million annually on sleep studies seeking to determine if the individual suffers from sleep apnea – a condition that causes an individual to momentarily stop breathing during sleep. At the root of the problem, Medicare is paying bills for services that are missing proper documentation, such as a doctor’s referral. Furthermore, the estimated $175 million could be used to actually treat patients suffering from sleep apnea or other conditions, if corrected. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. You have probably heard of sleep apnea, the condition where a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. In fact, Medicare alone spends almost $300 million a year on sleep studies determining if patients have this condition. Unfortunately, it seems Medicare has a problem with overpaying for these important studies, which costs taxpayers as much as $175 million a year. In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) noted that one provider of sleep studies recently agreed to repay $15.3 million resulting from false claims.[1] The OIG report delved into another sleep study provider from Orlando that was estimated to have been overpaid more than $1 million, or almost 60 percent of all payments they received. Specifically, the OIG found, that in a sample of 100 patients, 74 percent of items billed were not allowable under Medicare guidelines. In addition, nearly one-third of those payments were made without supporting documentation, such as a doctor’s referral. And, in one instance, Medicare paid for a procedure that was not even done.[2] Shockingly, roughly 60 percent of payments made to this particular provider were over 3-years old. Which means Medicare paid the bill for services without the req… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-legislation-ban-federal-reserve-lobbying/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Legislation to Ban the Federal Reserve from Lobbying | 2015-11-05 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans to introduce legislation that would ban the Federal Reserve (Fed), and all of its personnel, from lobbying Congress and the American people against legislation to bring transparency to the Fed or other matters. The legislation, known as the Bring Accountability Now to the Fed Act, prohibits anyone acting on behalf of the Fed from actively supporting or opposing legislation before Congress. “The Fed has used its immense power to bailout Wall Street and print money to finance our debt. When anyone rises up to challenge them, Fed officials use taxpayer dollars to lobby for more power and against oversight of their activities. It is time for Congress and the American people to say enough is enough,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-reintroduces-audit-fed/ | Sen. Rand Paul Reintroduces “Audit the Fed” | 2015-11-04 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today reintroduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed,” taking steps to place it directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar. The bill eliminates restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandates that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in January 2015. Rule XIV allows Audit the Fed to be placed directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar so that the legislation can be called up for immediate consideration. “Today, I reintroduced my legislation to conduct a complete and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve and am seeking a vote soon. The Fed operating under a cloak of secrecy has gone on for far too long. The American people have a right to know exactly how Washington is spending their money. The time to act is now,” Sen. Paul said. Cosponsors of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 include: U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and David Vitter (R-LA). Click HERE to read the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-usaids-plan-spend-6-million-promote-tourism-albania/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers USAID’s Plan to Spend $6 Million to Promote Tourism in Albania | 2015-11-02 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Uncle Sam: “Come Visit the US…or go to Albania” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition draws attention to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As part of Tourism as a Leading Edge, a joint venture with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, USAID is planning to spend six million hard-earned taxpayer dollars to study and promote the Albanian tourism industry. As if spending American taxpayer dollars to promote another nation’s economy is not bad enough, Albania’s tourism industry, as a percentage of GDP, is already larger than that of the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. government already contributes approximately $100 million to Brand USA, a public-private partnership, promoting the U.S. tourism industry to foreign vacationers. In other words, one effort is spending money to get foreign tourists to vacation in America and the other to get them to vacation in Albania. Essentially our federal government is working against itself. The latest edition of “The Waste Report” can be found HERE or below. Have you ever dreamed of a European vacation? Maybe you would like to check out England, France, Germany, or…Albania? Well, if you have not thought of spending your money on a trip to Albania, you might be surprised to learn the federal government is spending your tax dollars to study and promote the Albanian tourism industry. That is right! The U.S. Agency for International Development is currently planning to award as much as $6 million as part of Tourism as a Leading Edge, a joint venture with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, for studies and work to improve tourism in Albania.[1] The problem, it seems, is that the Eurozone economic crisis is having a negative ripple effect on the Albanian economy which previously relied heavily on remittances of earnings abroad, particularly from Greec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-remarks-prepared-delivery-sen-rand-paul-floor-speech-senate-votes-continuing-his-filibuster/ | REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY: Sen. Rand Paul Floor Speech Before Senate Votes on Continuing his Filibuster on Budget Agreement | 2015-10-30 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today will deliver a speech on the U.S. Senate floor regarding his opposition to the two-year federal budget agreement. Sen. Paul has been a strong and vocal advocate against an unlimited debt limit increase in the budget deal. This morning, Senate leadership will attempt to end Sen. Paul’s filibuster with a cloture vote. However, the filibuster will continue if 41 Senators vote with Sen. Paul against the budget deal. Below is a transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks prepared for delivery. The number one threat to our country’s future is our debt. The number one threat to our national security is our debt. This deal gives the President the power to borrow unlimited amounts of money. This deal represents the worst of the Washington culture. The Left and the Right have come together in an unholy alliance to explode the debt. The Left gets more welfare, the Right gets more military contracts, and the Taxpayer is stuck with the bill! This a bipartisan busting of the budget caps that will further indenture the next generation. I promised the voters of Kentucky to oppose deficits, to oppose budgets that don’t balance, and to spend only what we have. I will not give this President or any President to power to borrow unspecified amounts of money. Our debt now equals our entire economy. Not raising the debt ceiling means we would be forced to only spend what comes in – also known as a balanced budget. I could accept that. But I also could accept a balanced budget amendment that brings us into balance over five years. The debt threatens us like never before and now is the time to take a stand. I have travelled far and wide across America and I have not met one Republican outside of DC who supports adding an unlimited increase in the debt ceiling. I hope my colleagues will listen to their constituents before voting for this terrible, no good, rotten deal. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-pauls-late-night-filibuster-nearly-derails-debt-increase/ | Sen. Rand Paul’s Late Night Filibuster Nearly Derails Debt Increase | 2015-10-30 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered multiple speeches on the U.S. Senate floor regarding his opposition to the two-year federal debt and spending bill. In the dead of night, Senate leadership gathered the 60 votes needed to stop Sen. Paul’s filibuster and proceed to legislation raising the debt ceiling and breaking the spending caps promised in the Budget Control Act of 2011. Since coming to Washington in 2010, Sen. Paul has been an ardent opponent of Washington’s continued, reckless spending. Furthermore, Sen. Paul was opposed to any deal that gave the President an unlimited debt limit increase. After cloture was invoked, Sen. Paul concluded his filibuster with a one-hour speech against the unholy alliance of right and left. At the end of his final speech, he raised a budget point of order that the bill violates Senate budget rules adopted earlier this year that protect the Social Security trust fund, ensuring we meet our obligations to seniors and not take that money to spend elsewhere. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill did exactly that. With this point of order Sen. Paul was appealing to his colleagues to remember our obligation to seniors. Unfortunately, Senators voted 64-35 to waive their own rules adopted earlier this year and proceed with spending the money. A transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks prepared for delivery and clips of his floor speeches are available below. SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL PRIOR TO CLOTURE VOTE SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL POST CLOTURE Transcript: Sen. Paul: The number-one threat to our country’s future is our debt. The number-one threat to our national security is our debt. This deal gives the president the power to borrow unlimited amounts of money. This deal represents the worst of Washington culture. The left and the right have come together in an unholy alliance to explode the debt. The left gets more welfare. The right gets more military contracts. And the taxpayer is st… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-speaks-out-against-budget-agreement/ | FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Budget Agreement | 2015-10-29 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor today regarding his opposition to the two-year federal budget agreement. For a point of clarification: after Sen. Paul announced his filibuster of the debt bill earlier this week, Senate Leadership moved to end the filibuster by filing cloture. Cloture is the mechanism in the rules to end debate, and thus end a filibuster. If 41 Senators vote with Sen. Paul, the filibuster will continue. Below is video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S REMARKS ON THE SENATE FLOOR TRANSCRIPT Sen. Rand Paul: I rise today in opposition to raising the debt ceiling. I rise in particular in opposition to raising the debt ceiling without getting any sort of spending reform or budgetary reform in return. In fact, it will be completely the opposite. We will be raising the debt ceiling in an unlimited fashion. We will be giving President Obama a free pass to borrow as much money as he can borrow in the last year of his office. No limit, no dollar limit. Here you go, President Obama. Spend what you want. We do this while also exceeding what are called budget caps. We have been trying to have spending restraint in Washington. It hasn’t worked very well, but at least there are some numbers that government is not supposed to exceed. These include spending caps for military spending as well as domestic spending. When I first arrived, I was part of a movement called the tea party movement. We came into prominence and I was elected primarily because I was concerned about the debt, worried about the debt that we were leaving to our kids and our grandkids, worrying that we were destroying the very fabric of the country with debt. We came here in 2010 and we negotiated and negotiated, and the president said, President Obama said I won’t negotiate with you. He says I won’t negotiate with a gun to my head. The media all said you just always have to raise the debt ceiling. It’s irresponsible to use that as lever… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-156-million-spent-free-community-college-foreign-students/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers $15.6 Million Spent on Free Community College for Foreign Students | 2015-10-26 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition draws attention to the Community College Initiative (CCI) Program that is administered by the United States’ State Department Office of Global Educational Programs at the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This fiscal year, the CCI program is slated to spend an astounding $15.6 million to bring foreign students to America to attend community college for free. For comparison’s sake, the same amount of money is enough to pay for approximately 2,330 semesters at an average-priced community college. The latest edition of “The Waste Report” can be found HERE or below. For millions of Americans, community colleges offer an affordable and convenient opportunity to begin a college career or to gain a competitive edge in the job market. But it turns out the federal government thinks community colleges should not be limited to, well, the community. Thu, it is planning to spend $15.6 million to bring foreign students to America to attend these institutions for one year.[1] The FY2016 Community College Initiative (CCI) Program that is run by the State Department’s Office of Global Educational Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) plans to target poor students from several countries including India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Pakistan.[2] India’s inclusion in the CCI is particularly interesting. Last year, the University Grants Commission of India (something of a national board of education) approved the creation of 98 new community colleges across India.[3]Meaning, American community colleges will now be in competition with Indian community colleges for students. Even more shocking about the Indian case is that earlier this year the State Department issued a $70,000 grant opportunity to put on a traveling photo exhibition of American community colleges throughout India.[4] It seems I… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-resolution-senate-review-upcoming-climate-agreement/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Resolution for Senate Review on Upcoming Climate Agreement | 2015-10-21 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul yesterday introduced Senate Resolution 290, a resolution calling for the U.S. Senate to reassert its constitutional role in treaty review. Specifically, the resolution highlights the need for any agreement reached at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, to follow the past precedent for congressional review, established by the Senate’s call to review the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. “One of the most important duties as a Senator is to uphold and defend the Constitution. My resolution will reassert the Senate’s constitutional role in treaty review and protect the balance of power within our government,” Sen. Paul said. Earlier this week, Sen. Paul issued a Dear Colleague letter urging Senate colleagues to cosponsor Senate Resolution 290. Click HERE to read the Dear Colleague letter. To read the resolution in its entirety, click HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-380k-nih-study-freshman-15-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers $380K NIH Study on ‘Freshman 15’ in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-10-19 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the National Institutes for Health (NIH) conducting a $380,000 study seeking to identify how social relationships freshman year of college contribute to weight-related problems – commonly referred to as the “freshman 15.” The latest edition of ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The “freshman 15” is an old legend around college campuses; the idea that new college students, away from home and confronted with a campus food service smorgasbord tend to put on a few extra pounds. Well the National Institutes for Health aims to get to the bottom of this with a $380,000 grant to study how social relationships in college contribute to weight-related problems.[1] Because it’s not the food you eat, it’s the friends you make. The study being done at Arizona State University (ASU) seeks to identify how the friendships freshman make in college contribute to weight-gain and poor eating habits. In addition to collecting data on the types of friends college freshmen make, the study will, “survey friends of participating students across an academic year to explore friends’ potential impact on freshmen’s weight-related outcomes.”[2] Nothing like asking your new friends about your eating habits. “So, how many chili dogs did Tom really eat?” “So, how many of your sorority sisters skipped breakfast?” But there may be a wrinkle in this plan that makes it even more wasteful of tax dollars. College weight gain might not even be a problem. Numerous independent studies spanning decades have agreed that freshman only gain around 2.7 to 3.5lbs over their entire freshman year. It turns out it was Seventeen magazine that arbitrarily put the number at 15 back in 1989.[3] But even the 2 to 3lbs might not even be a problem. An Ohio State University (OSU) study comparing college freshman to their non-college peers an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-cut-cap-and-balance-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2015 | 2015-10-16 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans to introduce the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2015 once the U.S. Senate is back in session next week. Building off of the Cut-Cap-Balance effort in 2011, this legislation would cut the 2016 deficit in half, cap spending going forward on a path to balance by 2021, and require Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution before raising the nation’s debt limit. “Bold action is needed to address our nation’s debt crisis – our national debt currently stands at $18.4 trillion. We cannot keep piling debt on top of debt forever,” Sen. Paul said. Sen. Paul also plans next week to introduce the Default Prevention Act, which prevents a default whenever the United States has reached the national debt limit and prioritizes spending as revenue comes in. Background information and top-line points can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2015 Cuts the deficit in half this year. $207 billion in cuts this year Social Security, Medicare, military pay, veterans’ benefits, and interest are not subject to the additional cuts Caps spending going forward at a balanced level of 18%. Provides a glide path to balance at 18% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 5 years Caps spending at 18% of GDP going forward Balances the budget permanently through a balanced budget amendment. No debt limit increase until Congress passes a balanced budget amendment and sends it to the states for ratification The Default Prevention Act Prevents a default whenever the United States has reached the national debt limit and prioritizes spending as revenue comes in. Gives debt service, military pay, Social Security, and Medicare payments priority over other spending as revenue comes in. Average monthly revenue is more than enough to cover these and other priorities. Average monthly revenue is $271 billion Average monthly spending on priority items is $158 billion per month On average there is $113 billion per month to spend on … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-leads-34-senators-requesting-hhs-inspector-general-investigation-planned/ | Sen. Rand Paul Leads 34 Senators Requesting HHS Inspector General Investigation of Planned Parenthood Tissue Practices | 2015-10-06 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter, signed by 34 of his colleagues, to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson calling for a full audit of all fetal research supported by HHS to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance. Originally stemming from videos showcasing the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s potential violations of federal law, the audit would specifically examine the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with laws governing fetal tissue research. In July 2015, Sen. Paul joined 49 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell immediately following the release of footage from the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing – in graphic detail – the organization’s involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. In the letter, the Senators asked HHS to conduct an internal review of the compliance of both HHS and their grantee, Planned Parenthood, with all applicable federal laws, including those prohibiting the sale of fetal tissue for profit. The response received from Sec. Burwell in August was unacceptable and makes clear that a thorough internal investigation of compliance was not conducted. Co-signers of the letter to HHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson include the following: Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rob Portman (R-OH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Thune (R-SD), David Perdue (R-GA), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Boozman (R-AR), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), David Vitter (R-LA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), John Cornyn (R-TX), Roger Wicke… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-exposes-multimillion-dollar-mulligan-international-space-station-latest-waste/ | Dr. Rand Paul Exposes Multimillion-Dollar Mulligan for International Space Station in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-10-05 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes the federal government spending $15 million each year to fund the Center for Advancement of Science in Space, an organization that allows a golf club maker to do research in space. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. When Allen Shepard first proposed hitting a golf ball on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission, NASA said it was, “far too frivolous.”[1] They eventually backed down; but like landing on the moon, the sentiment that golf in space is frivolous seems to have faded from memory. This may explain why last year, Cobra Puma Golf was able to do an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). So what kind of research does golf club maker do in space? According to Duane Ratliff, Director of Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), “[t]his is not research on a golf club,” but rather on how certain materials behave in zero gravity.[2] However, Crobra’s website tells a different story, saying research in space is, “allowing us to create the most technologically advanced golf products in the world… technologies that will enhance the performance of all golfers.”[3] Including Astronauts? NASA Watch, a space industry watchdog, said of the project, “CASIS would rather go golfing than do actual ISS research.” But it seems “actual research” is hard to come by. CASIS’ 2014 Annual Report shows they received only 122 proposals for research.[4] Thus, with low competition for ISS for resources, golf equipment can make the cut. CASIS, by the way, is a non-profit that NASA selected to facilitate outside research on the ISS. For their efforts, they get a $15 million grant each year from the federal government, but as the NASA Inspector General reports, and is affirmed in CASIS annual report, “[t]o date, CASIS has raised just $14,550 in cash [from outside contributors].”[5] This a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-holds-hearing-mitigate-wasteful-end-year-federal-spending/ | Sen. Rand Paul Holds Hearing to Mitigate Wasteful, End of the Year Federal Spending | 2015-09-30 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management for the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held a hearing entitled, “Prudent Planning or Wasteful Binge? A Look at End of the Year Spending.” Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK) also participated in the hearing. During the hearing, Sen. Paul explored the phenomena of end of year federal government spending – the practice of trying to obligate all remaining funds in an agency budget before they expire at the end of the year – as well as identified possible solutions to mitigate this problem, including legislation introduced by Sen. Paul, known as the Bonus for Cost-Cutters Act. Witnesses testifying in the hearing included: Dr. Jason J. Fichtner, Senior Research Fellow for Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Dean Sinclair, Change Advocate for Changing the Culture of Waste in the Federal Workplace; and Dr. Philip Joyce, Professor of Public Policy and Senior Associate Dean for University of Maryland School of Public Policy. In May 2015, Sen. Paul introduced the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2015, which would empower those on the front lines of federal spending to find efficiencies and improve productivity to return value to the taxpayer in the form of deficit reduction and less government borrowing. Building on the current federal law, the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act would allow a U.S. government agency’s inspector general to pay a bonus of up to $10,000 when a federal employee identifies surplus or unneeded funds. For background information and top-line points on the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act, click HERE. To read Sen. Paul’s ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government, click HERE Below are Sen. Paul’s opening remarks at the committee hearing on wasteful, end of the year spending in the federal government. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S OPEN… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-speaks-out-against-status-quo/ | FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Status Quo | 2015-09-29 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor today regarding his opposition to the FY2016 short-term continuing budget resolution. During the speech, Sen. Paul highlighted the need for Congress to pass appropriations bills individually and in a timely manner. Below is video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s floor speech. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S REMARKS ON THE SENATE FLOOR TRANSCRIPT Sen. Rand Paul: Reminded of that line from “Cool-hand Luke,” what we have here is a failure to legislate. What we have here is a failure to use our leverage, a failure to use the power of the purse. Conservatives across America are unhappy and rightly so. We were told that when we took over Congress, when Republicans were elected to Congress that things would be different. That if voters put us in charge, we would right the ship. We would stop the deficits. And here we are with another continuing resolution. What is a continuing resolution? It is a continuation of the deficit spending of the past. It is a continuation of the waste. It is a continuation of the duplication. What is a continuing resolution? It is a steaming pile of the same old same old. Let me be clear. A continuing resolution is not a good thing. It is more of the status quo. It is a warmed-over version of yesterday’s failures. It is an abdication of Congressional authority. It is an abdication of Congressional power. Let us at least be honest. With a continuing resolution, no waste will be cut. No spending will be cut. No regulations will be stopped. And the debt will continue to mount. We are told that we cannot win, that we need 60 votes to defund anything. But perhaps there is an alternate future where courage steps up and saves the day. All spending is set to expire automatically. This is the perfect time to turn the tables. To tell the other side that they will need 60 votes to affirmatively spend any money. You see, it doesn’t have to be 60 votes to stop things. All spending will expire, and only t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-exposes-national-park-services-100000-flower-show-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Exposes the National Park Service’s $100,000 ‘Flower Show’ in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-09-28 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes the federal government spending $100,000 of taxpayer dollars on a “flower show” in Philadelphia, Pa., celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. If you are a national parks enthusiast, then you probably already know that next year marks the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service (Park Service). However, you probably did not know as part of its Centennial Celebration, the Park Service is planning to spend $100K for a “flower show” in Philadelphia, Pa., this upcoming March.[1] The Philadelphia Flower Show is an event the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (PHS) puts on every year going back to 1829. This year’s theme is “Explore America: 100 Years of the National Park Service,” and will span over 33-acres of the Philadelphia Convention Center, and include the NPS “Find Your Park” pavilion.[2] While the flower show itself is a remarkable event and the nearly 200-year old PHS uses the proceeds to finance charitable activities – the question remains, why is this the Park Service’s best use of taxpayer money? This is especially troubling considering the Park Service and their supporters have cried foul for years over the agency’s funding. The National Parks Conservation Association said earlier this year that “the current Fiscal Year 2015 funding level for national parks is vastly insufficient to bring parks back to where they were, and where they need to be—especially in advance of the 2016 Centennial.”[3] Additionally in 2012, the Washington Post reported that the Park Service’s financial situation has caused the Blue Ridge Parkway to be “…unable to fill 75 vacant positions since 2003” and “[f]or the past three years, New Mexico’s Bandelier National Monument has lacked the money to hire a specialist to protect its archaeological… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-votes-against-continuing-resolution/ | Sen. Rand Paul Votes Against Continuing Resolution | 2015-09-25 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul issued the following statement today after voting against the FY2016 short-term continuing budget resolution brought before the U.S. Senate: “Since coming to Washington, I have voted against every spending bill that continues to add to our nation’s mountain of debt. Spending at the levels in this bill will add $400 billion more new debt this year. Time and time again, the President and Congress fail to do one of their most basic jobs, which is to review and adjust federal spending and fund the government. While I support all efforts to stop federal funding of Planned Parenthood, this bill is a clear representation of business as usual in Washington – too much spending and too much debt. The American people deserve better,” Sen. Paul said. In July 2015, Sen. Paul began leading the fight to eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and was a lead cosponsor of S.1881, a bill to defund the organization, which was voted on earlier this year. Additionally, Sen. Paul urged Senate leadership to strip Planned Parenthood funding language from the continuing resolution, and hold a separate vote. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-exposes-dod-spending-218000-taxpayer-dollars-surgically-sterilize-feral-coyotes/ | Dr. Rand Paul Exposes DOD Spending $218,000 Taxpayer Dollars to Surgically Sterilize Feral Coyotes and Invasive Burros in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-09-22 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloging egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition uncovers $218,000 of taxpayer funds spent by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to deal with the invasive feral burros and coyote population at Fort Irwin, Calif., by sterilizing and/or relocating the animals to a separate location. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Have you ever left the lid off the garbage can only to find animals got into it the next morning? With trash strewn across the yard, you dialed an exterminator to immediately come out and deal with the pesky critters. Not likely. Instead you became vigilant about keeping the can closed. Well, the U.S. Department of Defense DOES call the exterminator, or something like it, to deal with the invasive feral burro and coyote population at Fort Irwin, Calif., which costs taxpayers $218,000.[1] But why is this a new problem for a base that has been in continuous operation for over 60 years?[2] Well, it appears that the coyotes and burros are attracted by humans, on-base, who either feed the animals directly or leave food and trash in the open. The base’s lead wildlife biologist Liana Aker advised in an article just last year, “First, don’t ever feed coyotes [which are often sick with mange]…People feeling sorry for and feeding them is probably our biggest problem here.”[3] Perhaps a cheaper alternative would be for people station at Fort Irwin to stop feeding the animals. The grant to nearby, as in almost 800 miles away, New Mexico State University (NMSU) calls for such things as, “[e]xamine the effectiveness of various medical procedures (chemical sterilants, surgical sterilization, etc.) to reduce reproduction and recruitment of juvenile animals in the burro population.”[4] Being that this grant is just for a study, we can assume more spending will follow based on NMSU’s recommendations. And, this is not the first time dealing with the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-highlights-government-funded-yoga-classes-federal-agencies-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Highlights Government-Funded Yoga Classes for Federal Agencies in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-09-14 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the federal government spending $150,000 of taxpayer dollars to provide free yoga classes for employees at a variety of federal agencies. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Maybe you saw a Groupon for yoga classes and considered it, but even at a discount you were not sure you wanted to spend the money. Well if you were an employee at certain federal agencies you would not have to worry about cost, because the U.S. taxpayer will pick up the tab. That’s right. A variety of federal agencies in a number of locations provide “free” yoga classes to employees. But these classes are not free – since 2013; they have cost taxpayers over $150,000.[1] The U.S. State Department spends $15,000 for yoga in the nation’s capital. A yoga instructor from Berkeley, California, is paid $4,000 a year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research Service. Of course, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which The Waste Report highlighted trying to buy the Cadillac of treadmills earlier this year, has gotten in on taxpayer financed yoga. For $11,000 annually the DOE also offers Pilates at a California location. Another agency aligning its chakras is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Railroad Retirement Board spends $11,000 annually for yoga classes for office workers at its Chicago headquarters. Strangely, they reported that participants were initially charged for the class, but in some kind of weird reversal of economic principles, there was so much demand, the agency decided to start picking up the tab in 2010. Not all agencies that offer employees yoga at work also pay the cost; many agencies, including the U.S. Senate, require participants to pay for the class. [2] ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-small-business-lending-enhancement-act/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act | 2015-09-10 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act. This bipartisan legislation, which seeks to cut through red tape and encourage small business growth, would increase the credit union member business-lending cap for well-capitalized credit unions from 12.25% of assets to 27.5%. The Credit Union National Association estimates the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act would allow credit unions to lend an additional $13 billion to small business therefore assisting with the creation of more than 140,000 jobs nationwide. “The Obama administration’s onerous regulations have hurt our small businesses, credit unions, and banks. The Small Business Lending Enhancement Act will encourage small business growth and facilitate job creation for Americans across the country,” Sen. Paul said. “Credit unions serve our communities well, often by focusing on lending to local small businesses,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “I’m pleased to join Senator Paul in introducing legislation to allow credit unions to expand their lending to help grow businesses and jobs.” Supporters of the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act include: Credit Union National Association, National Association of Federal Credit Unions, Competitive Enterprise Institute, R Street, Americans For Tax Reform, American Consumer Institute, The Realtor’s, and Progressive Policy Institute. “This common sense legislation would allow small businesses to grow, create jobs and boost our economy. Credit unions around the country are dedicated to helping small businesses access the capital they need to succeed, and I thank Senator Paul for his strong leadership on this issue,” said Jim Nussle, President and CEO,Credit Union National Association. “Raising the arbitrary credit union member business lending cap is a win-win-win for small businesses, credit unions, and consumers. NAFCU applauds Senators Paul and Whitehouse for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important legis… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-wasted-taxpayer-funds-nsf-study-athletes-zone-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights Wasted Taxpayer Funds in NSF Study of ‘Athletes in the Zone’ in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-09-08 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes $350,000 of taxpayer funds spent by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) on a study that focuses on how an athlete’s perception influences their physical performance. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Some athletes call it “the zone,” which is the sense of being on your game – the feeling that you are on fire and you just cannot miss. Well, it appears the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) did miss when it spent $350,000 to fund a study of athletes in the zone. That’s right. A study, originally funded in 2010 and conducted by researchers at Purdue University, looked at how perception relates to performance. The grant leads off with “[a]thletes playing well describe distortions in spatial perception: basketball hoops appear as large as hula-hoops, golf holes as big as manholes, and baseballs as big as grapefruits.”[1] The big question here: do athletes play well because they perceive baseballs to be as big as grapefruits, does the perception materialize when playing well, or is it just a false memory? This is already sounding very similar to the NSF-funded study covered in ‘The Waste Report’ of July 14, 2015: Feeling Bad About Government Waste?, where NSF spent $175,000 to figure out how good individuals are at predicting how they will feel about decisions they make. So what was learned in this study? In tennis, players who hit the ball out of bounds thought it came at them faster than those who hit it in play. And when playing Pong, a version of the video game Pong, the virtual ball seems to move slower when the paddle is bigger.[2] But the most fascinating experiment (as in why are taxpayers paying for this?) related to the perception of walls in parkour. What is parkour, you ask? Well, sometimes called “free running,” parkour is an urban sport involving scaling and… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:25:19Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-thousands-taxpayer-dollars-spent-premium-satellite-tv-noaa-ship-latest/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights Thousands of Taxpayer Dollars Spent on Premium Satellite TV for NOAA Ship in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-08-31 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spending over $40,000 of American taxpayer dollars to ensure the crew aboard the NOAA Ship Fairweather has 300 channels of premium satellite TV while at sea. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Imagine you were going to miss your favorite TV show or a critical sporting event because you had to work. Well the crew and scientists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship, the Fairweather, do not have to worry about such things because the American taxpayer is spending over $40,000 to make sure they have premium satellite TV while at sea.[1] The Fairweather is part of NOAA’s Pacific fleet, primarily charged with studying and mapping the ocean floor.[2] With a maximum duration of about three weeks between refueling, the scientists and crew can undoubtedly get homesick and even bored on the open seas. So it seems reasonable to provide some level of basic entertainment. But there is no basic cable or satellite here. The Fairweather’s package has over 300 TV and music channels, including premium sports channels such as: the PAC-12 and Big Ten Networks, NFL, NHL, MLB Networks, and NBA TV.[3] In fact, only the Dish Network’s, winner of this contract, highest-end package offers such a line up.[4] Nielson reported last year that the average American home has 189 channels or about one-third less than are available on the Fairweather. Interesting enough, Nielson also shows that American households consistently only watch about 17 channels no matter how many are available.[5] But when it is on Uncle Sam’s dime go-ahead load it up, someone onboard might want to watch Rural TV, which is part of the package. And load it up is just what NOAA did, with 44 satellite receivers so that everyone aboard has personal … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-exposes-taxpayer-dollars-used-send-popular-american-band-perform-foreign-jazz/ | Sen. Rand Paul Exposes Taxpayer Dollars Used to Send Popular American Band to Perform in Foreign Jazz Festival in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-08-24 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes the U.S. State Department spending nearly $50,000 taxpayer dollars for the Soul Rebels, a New Orleans-based jazz band, to travel to Turkey and perform at the 22nd Istanbul Jazz Festival. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. From Duke Ellington to Tony Bennett, jazz is a part of the American soul. One group taking the genre to new levels is the New Orleans-based Soul Rebels. The Village Voice said of the group, “[t]he hip-hop-inflected eight-piece Soul Rebels are arguably the most dynamically au courant of the city’s many fine brass bands.”[1] Have not had a chance to take in one of their concerts? Well, you’ve paid for one of their concerts overseas. That’s right. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of State spent nearly $50,000 of taxpayer money to, “support the Soul Rebels to travel to Turkey to give public performances as part of the 22nd Istanbul Jazz Festival.”[2] What is most surprising is that the Soul Rebels were already on a European tour, making taxpayer financing for the stop in Turkey unnecessary. In fact, after Turkey, the Soul Rebels went on to make stops in Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway, and met up with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga at the “North Sea Jazz Festival” in the Netherlands.[3] The group is hardly a fledgling act needing Uncle Sam’s help. The Soul Rebels have put out six albums since 1999, including Power=Power (2013), where they incorporate their unique sound to popular songs by the likes of Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj. That is not the only company they are keeping. They share a label with, Tom Jones, They Might Be Giants, and Alison Krauss.[4] So, the question has to be asked, why does such a cutting edge, established group need Uncle Sam to pay for the band to play at a well-established European jazz festival? | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-calls-out-fema-spending-50-million-duplicative-disaster-payments-latest-waste/ | Sen. Rand Paul Calls out FEMA For Spending $50 Million on Duplicative Disaster Payments In Latest The Waste Report | 2015-08-17 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition reveals $50 million wasted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on duplicative disaster payments to remediate damage when the cost had already been covered and paid by outside insurance companies. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Paying for something twice is one of those things that give you a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. When it comes to disaster recovery, Uncle Sam often unnecessarily pays twice, costing taxpayers over $50 million in the process. According to more than 30 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General reports, from just the last five years, taxpayers have spent at least $35.5 million remediating disaster damage also paid for by outside insurance. For example, following Hurricane Sandy, Seaside Heights, N.J., billed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over $45,000 for vehicle repairs that were also covered by the city’s insurance policy.[1] Palm Beach County or municipalities therein, claimed $622,596[2] for a variety of projects also paid for by insurance, including $20,581 for repairs to a golf course.[3] But that’s not all, the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight (FSO) also found another $17.7 million in double payments for disaster recovery reported by the Inspector General in just in the last five years. One example included the Port of Tillamook Bay, Ore., billing FEMA twice for the same debris-removal totaling a whopping $1.4 million overcharge. What makes this case interesting and shocking is the double billing was caused by Tillamook’s alternative use project. What is an alternative use project? Well, storms damaged a little-used rail line that Tillamook decided was not needed anyway. So, FEMA gave them $44.6 million (90% of the cost to repair the actual storm damage) to be used for an alternative env… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-speaks-veterans-issues-highlights-kentuckian-services-veterans-event-bowling/ | Sen. Rand Paul Speaks on Veterans Issues, Highlights Kentuckian Services at Veterans Event in Bowling Green | 2015-08-11 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | BOWLING GREEN, KY. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul attended a Veterans Open House at the American Legion in Bowling Green, Ky. At the event, Sen. Paul spoke about the many issues facing our nation’s veterans and had the opportunity to meet face to face with several Kentuckians his office has personally helped. He also highlighted his Senate office’s constituent services staff and urged the veterans to get in touch with them to initiate assistance. Bobette Franklin, Director of Constituent Services, and Alexandra Baston, Constituent Service Representative, were on-site during the meeting and stayed afterwards to discuss specific casework needs with individuals. “Before I came to Bowling Green to start my medical practice, I worked in three different veterans hospitals, so I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by those in the VA system. It is important for me to not only listen to the stories and concerns of these veterans, but also connect face to face with the Kentuckians whose compelling stories I have heard and for whom we have successfully advocated,” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-exposes-250k-taxpayer-funded-trip-space-camp-dollywood-foreign-kids-latest/ | Sen. Rand Paul Exposes $250K Taxpayer Funded Trip to Space Camp & Dollywood for Foreign Kids in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-08-10 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition uncovers the U.S. State Department financing a $250,000 trip for 24 Pakistani kids to visit Space Camp and the Dollywood amusement park in the U.S., for the sole purpose of learning English. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. If you were a kid in the ’80s, you probably dreamed of going to Space Camp, especially if you saw the movie. Well, if you have about $1,000 and can get yourself to Huntsville, Ala., you too can go to Space Camp. That is unless you are a kid in Pakistan, because if you are, Uncle Sam will send you to Space Camp on the taxpayer’s dime, to the tune of $250,000.[1] That’s right, last March the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad put out a grant opportunity to send 24 Pakistani students to 6 days of Space Camp in Alabama. Why is the federal taxpayer financing a trip around the world for Pakistani kids to play astronaut? Well, “to promote the development of English language, social, and analytical skills of the participants, through first-hand experiences in science and technology.”[2] With seven Space Camps around the world, including Italy and Japan, the State Department might be on to something bigger than Rosetta Stone and Facebook combined. Space Camp to learn English? By that standard doing almost anything in an English speaking country like the U.S. must qualify. Why not a trip to an amusement park? Well, actually…after splash down in Huntsville, the grant calls for the group to head out on a nearly 700 mile bus trip bound for Washington D.C., which includes a day’s visit, (perhaps from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., amusement park, Dollywood, named for country music legend Dolly Parton.[3] And while NASA’s FY 2016 Budget request includes $94 million for education, there is no mention of using that money to send American kids to Space Camp, which itself is not federa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-stop-sanctuary-cities-harboring-criminal-illegal-aliens/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to Stop “Sanctuary Cities” from Harboring Criminal Illegal Aliens | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced his Protecting American Citizens Together Act (PACT Act) as an amendment to S.754, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. The amendment would prevent “sanctuary cities” from harboring dangerous criminal aliens by requiring state and local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the arrest of an illegal immigrant, and detain an illegal immigrant if requested to do so by ICE. Additionally, if the Bureau of Prisons receives a request from ICE to transfer an illegal immigrant to their custody, that request will take priority over the request from state and local agencies. Under this legislation, localities will be required to follow the new requirements as a condition of receiving federal law enforcement grants. “Our nation now has whole cities and states who stand up and willingly defy federal immigration laws in order to protect illegal immigrants who have broken our nation’s laws. This must end and it must end now. My amendment makes it clear, the American people will not stand for cities harboring violent criminals,” Sen. Paul said. In July 2015, Sen. Paul introduced the PACT Act, S.1764, as a stand-alone bill. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendments-cybersecurity-bil/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendments to Cybersecurity Bil | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the following amendments to S.754, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. The amendments are outlined in detail below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON SEN. PAUL’S AMENDMENTS TO CYBERSECURITY BILL Clarifies Whistleblower Protection Adds rule of construction indicating that the Act does not prohibit or limit disclosure of whistleblower information to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). Clarifies that whistleblowers (agency and contractor) with knowledge of FISA programs may lodge complaints with Government Accountability Office (GAO), PCLOB, Congressional Intelligence Committees, or through internal channels. Prohibits professional retaliation against whistleblowers. Protection of Existing Privacy Law Clarifies that nothing in this Act shall supersede any provision of law as it relates to the retention by a Federal entity of personal information or identifying a specific United States person. Prevents liability immunity granted under the act from being used by companies to break privacy agreements with their customers CISA authorizes sweeping Internet monitoring of, and nearly unlimited sharing of information about, Internet users with the federal government, while companies are immune from lawsuits for taking these actions under this legislation. Amendment #2564, filed by Sen. Paul, would establish a simple protection for Internet users by clarifying that no company would be immune from making false promises to their customers. Congress should not make it possible for companies to monitor their customers’ Internet activities and transfer their data to the government while assuring the same customers that they do neither. Instead, Congress should promote accountability to private entities providing Internet services; advance transparency on information sharing conducted by those companies; and empowers Internet users to protect their own privacy. End warrantless backdoor searches of… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-audit-fed-amendment-cybersecurity-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “Audit the Fed” Amendment to Cybersecurity Bill | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced his Federal Reserve Transparency Act as an amendment to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, S. 754, currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. Widely known as “Audit the Fed,” the amendment seeks to eliminate restrictions on Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits of the Federal Reserve (Fed) and mandates that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to Congressional oversight. “A complete and thorough audit of the Fed will finally allow the American people to know exactly how their money is being spent by Washington. The Fed currently operates under a cloak of secrecy and it has gone on for too long. The American people have a right to know what the Federal Reserve is doing with our nation’s money supply, and the time to act is now,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read Sen. Paul’s legislation. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-service-members-self-defense-act-amendment-cybersecurity-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “Service Members Self Defense Act” Amendment to Cybersecurity Bill | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced an amendment, which would amend permit members of the armed forces to possess firearms on military installations in accordance with applicable state and local law, to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S.754). Similarly, Sen. Paul introduced S.1839, the Service Members Self Defense Act of 2015, as a stand-alone bill earlier this year. “I find it ridiculous that the brave men and women serving in our armed forces are asked to defend us overseas but cannot protect themselves once they return home. My amendment ensures that our honorable service members are allowed to protect themselves while serving our nation at home,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read legislation in its entirety. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AMENDMENT: Requires the Secretary of Defense to amend U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 5210.56, within 30 days, to allow members of the armed forces to possess firearms for defensive purposes. Clarifies the carrying of a concealed weapon by a member of the armed forces, on DOD property, is not a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or 18 USC 930 – Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities. Allowing for the carrying of a concealed weapon by qualified members of the armed forces, with national reciprocity, in accordance with state and local law. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-lausd-reallocating-funds-national-school-lunch-program-feed-lawns-not/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights LAUSD Reallocating Funds from National School Lunch Program to Feed Lawns, Not Children in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-08-03 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reallocating more than $158 million of federal funds from the National School Lunch Program to pay for a new lawn sprinkler system and salaries at the district’s local television station. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. According to the California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes (CSOOO), over a six-year period, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) diverted more than $158 million of National School Lunch Program funding to other uses including: buying lawn sprinklers and paying the salaries at the district’s television station.[1] One tactic used was to reduce lunch periods to as little as 20 minutes in some schools, so students, whose lunch was already paid for with federal funds, would be unable to receive food.[2] But this did not stop LAUSD from crying foul about school lunch funding. In January 2009, while funds were being misappropriated, a LAUSD press release carried the headline, “cafeteria fund cash flow may leave neediest LAUSD students hungry,” advocating for increased funds. The release notes that, “Superintendent Cortines has directed a comprehensive legislative and media initiative to ensure state decision makers and the public understand the consequences of a compromised meal program would have on our students ability to learn.”[3] The 2013 CSOOO report found several other California districts mismanaged or illegally re-appropriated the National Federal School Lunch funds, and implied it was a general practice. What should concern federal taxpayers is that once the money is in state hands, the state is responsible for oversight. In the case of California, the average state auditor is keeping tabs on (or trying to) federal (and state) funds going to a whopping 51 school districts. At approximately $2 b… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-urges-support-bill-defund-planned-parenthood/ | Sen. Rand Paul Urges Support for Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood | 2015-08-03 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor today urging his colleagues to support S.1881. This legislation would eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, while at the same time protect and preserve federal funding of women’s health services provided by other eligible entities. In July 2015, Sen. Paul introduced similar language to defund Planned Parenthood as both a stand-alone bill and an amendment to H.R.22, the Senate vehicle for the highway bill. Sen. Paul has repeatedly asked the Senate to hold a vote on both measures. A vote to take up the legislation required 60 votes for passage and failed, 53-46. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s floor speech. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Paul: There comes a time in the history of nations when a civilized people must stand up and decide whether or not life is important, whether or not life is something special, and whether or not there’s maybe something greater than just us that has to do with life. It sickens me to me what’s been going on with Planned Parenthood. Some of my first memories of my children were the ultrasound that I saw before they were born. We still keep those. We now find out, though, that this technology that can do wonders, that can save babies, you can perform surgery now in the uterus and the baby can survive, these same techniques that are being used by Planned Parenthood to manipulate the baby into a position to harvest the baby’s organs. I think all America should be sickened by this, but it should also trouble us if we are a society that’s not sickened by this. And I think the time has come to have a full-throated debate about this, and the time has come to end all taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Some will say, well, where will people get their health? We have 9,000 community health centers and 700 Planned Parenthood clinics. Difference is abortion. In fact, you can get many things at a community hea… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-us-conference-catholic-bishops-urges-support-sen-rand-pauls-efforts-defund-planned-parenthood/ | U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Urges Support for Sen. Rand Paul’s Efforts to Defund Planned Parenthood | 2015-08-03 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released the following letter today urging support for legislation, S.1881, to eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The text of the letter can be found HERE or below: LETTER TEXT: August 3, 2015 Dear Senator: I am writing to ask your support for S.1881, to withhold federal funds from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. It has long been troubling to many Americans that the nation’s largest abortion network, performing over a third of all abortions, receives over half a billion taxpayer dollars a year. This concern has rightly grown in recent years. The most recent revelations about Planned Parenthood’s willingness to traffic in fetal tissue from abortions, and to alter abortion methods not for any reason related to women’s health but to obtain more “intact” organs, is the latest demonstration of a callousness toward women and their unborn children that is shocking to many Americans. The Catholic Church comes to this issue from a perspective rooted in experience. Catholic charitable agencies and pregnancy help centers have helped countless pregnant women find life-affirming alternatives to abortion. Our hospitals and other health facilities are second to none in providing quality health care for women. We support the legislative proposal to reallocate federal funding, so that women can obtain their health care from providers that do not promote abortion. It is my sincere hope that you will be able to help advance this goal by supporting S.1881. Sincerely, Seán Cardinal O’Malley Archbishop of Boston Chairman Committee on Pro-Life Activities U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:23:36Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-sens-joni-ernst-james-lankford-introduce-legislation-defunding-planned-parenthood/ | Dr. Rand Paul, Sens. Joni Ernst & James Lankford Introduce Legislation Defunding Planned Parenthood | 2015-07-29 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK), along with 21 of their Senate colleagues, introduced legislation, S.1881, to prohibit federal funding of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. This legislation prohibits federal dollars going to Planned Parenthood, while at the same time protecting and preserving federal funding of women’s health services provided by other eligible entities. This action comes after Sen. Paul’s calls for the Senate to hold a vote on a measure to defund Planned Parenthood before the August recess. Earlier this month, Sen. Paul introduced legislation to defund Planned Parenthood as a stand-alone bill and as an amendment to, H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill. “I am encouraged that the Senate will soon vote on our bill to defund Planned Parenthood. The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood is appalling to the American people and they should no longer be forced to fund this organization with their tax dollars,” Sen. Paul said. Also last night, Sen. Paul appeared on Fox’s “Hannity” with Sean Hannity to discuss this legislation. A clip of the interview can be found HERE. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-urges-support-bill-defund-planned-parenthood-press-conference/ | Dr. Rand Paul Urges Support for Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood at Press Conference | 2015-07-29 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Thune (R-SD), Tim Scott (R-SC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) at a press conference today to push for the passage of S.1881. This legislation prohibits federal dollars going to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, while at the same time protecting and preserving federal funding of women’s health services provided by other eligible entities. Earlier this month, Sen. Paul introduced similar language to defund Planned Parenthood as both a stand-alone bill and an amendment to H.R. 22, the Senate vehicle for the highway bill. In addition, he repeatedly asked the U.S. Senate to hold a vote on both measures. Click HERE to read the legislation, S.1881, in its entirety. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks at the press conference. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS TRANSCRIPT For many of us one of our first images we see of our children is the image on ultrasound. Many people have a framed picture of their children before they were born on ultrasound. I think what was particularly appalling is that we see ultrasound being used to manipulate the baby into a position so they can remove the body parts and preserve liver, lung, and heart for harvesting and sale. I think that is particularly appalling and in contrast to what most Americans would think moral and responsible. I think it is important to know there are 9,000 community health centers across the country which do everything that Planned Parenthood does except for abortion. There is absolutely no need for public funding of Planned Parenthood. There’s no excuse for it and we should end all funding for Planned Parenthood. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-applauds-house-passage-reins-act/ | Dr. Rand Paul Applauds House Passage of REINS Act | 2015-07-28 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing Rep. Todd Young’s (R-IN) H.R. 427, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The REINS Act, introduced by Sen. Paul in the U.S. Senate earlier this year, would require any executive branch rule or regulation with an annual economic impact of $100 million or more to be voted on by Congress before being enacted. “The House passage of the REINS Act today signals there is continued momentum and support for an accountable federal regulatory process. I commend Rep. Todd Young and the House of Representatives for taking this important step in making the regulatory state accountable to the American people. Additionally, I renew my commitment to work to get a vote on the REINS Act in the U.S. Senate,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the REINS Act in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-highlights-millionaires-living-public-housing-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Highlights Millionaires Living in Public Housing in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-07-27 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloging egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending $104 million annually to subsidize public housing for individuals who no longer qualify for low-income housing. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The premise of the “social safety net” is to help people in need while they get back on their feet. And, just like a net that catches you when you fall, once you begin to climb again, you leave the net behind. So, why is the federal government spending $104 million a year subsidizing public housing for people who are no longer low-income? According to a Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Inspector General’s (IG) report, someone only needs to qualify as low-income once—when they first enter the program—and after that they can make as much money as they want without having to leave taxpayer-subsidized housing. [1] The IG’s report found over 25,000 cases of people receiving benefits. Shockingly, in almost all cases the income threshold had been exceeded for more than one year. Keep in mind that people receiving government financed housing vouchers to rent properties on the open market are supposed to be cut off when their income exceeds the limit for 180 days.[2] Even those in the wealthiest 1 % are in on the deal.[3] In New York, one family of four was making nearly $500k a year and owned property that generated about $150k a year, in additional rental income. A single tenant in rural Nebraska made double the maximum income threshold and had $1.6 million in assets, including $470k in real estate, yet only paid $300 a month in rent to the housing authority.[4] In both cases the tenant had not met the low-income standard in more than 5 years. Oddly, this is not the result of a scam or a loophole. According to the IG report, “HUD repeatedly objected to our audit on the grounds that… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-bill-end-taxpayer-funding-planned-parenthood/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Taxpayer Funding of Planned Parenthood | 2015-07-24 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced legislation, S.1861, which would eliminate nearly $500 million of taxpayer funding each year to Planned Parenthood. Earlier this week, Sen. Paul introduced the bill as an amendment to H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill. “The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood, a partially taxpayer-funded organization, is shocking and appalling. Recent video revelations, involving potentially criminal activity, make it more obvious than ever that this organization has absolutely zero respect for the sanctity of human life and is an affront to the most basic human dignity enshrined in our founding documents. Not one more taxpayer dollar should go to Planned Parenthood and I intend to make that goal a reality,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-service-members-self-defense-act-2015/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces the Service Members Self Defense Act of 2015 | 2015-07-23 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul yesterday introduced S. 1839, the Service Members Self Defense Act of 2015. This legislation was offered as a stand-alone bill and as an amendment to H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill. This legislation would amend permit members of the armed forces to possess firearms on military installations in accordance with applicable state and local law. “I find it ridiculous that the brave men and women serving in our armed forces are asked to defend us overseas but cannot protect themselves once they return home. My bill ensures that our honorable service members are allowed to protect themselves while serving our nation at home,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the Service Members Self Defense Act in its entirety. Background Information on the Service Members Self Defense Act: · Requires the Secretary of Defense to amend U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 5210.56, within 30 days, to allow members of the armed forces to possess firearms for defensive purposes. · Clarifies the carrying of a concealed weapon by a member of the armed forces, on DOD property, is not a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or 18 USC 930 – Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities. · Allowing for the carrying of a concealed weapon by qualified members of the armed forces, with national reciprocity, in accordance with state and local law. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-questions-secretary-kerry-obama-administrations-iran-nuclear-agreement/ | Dr. Rand Paul Questions Secretary Kerry on Obama Administration’s Iran Nuclear Agreement | 2015-07-23 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today attended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to question Secretary of State John Kerry on the Iran nuclear agreement reached by the Obama administration. A video of the exchange can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S REMARKS ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-end-taxpayer-funding-planned-parenthood/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to End Taxpayer Funding of Planned Parenthood | 2015-07-22 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced an amendment to H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill, which would eliminate nearly $500 million of taxpayer funding each year to Planned Parenthood. “The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood, a partially taxpayer-funded organization, is shocking and appalling. Recent video revelations, involving potentially criminal activity, make it more obvious than ever that this organization has absolutely zero respect for the sanctity of human life and is an affront to the most basic human dignity enshrined in our founding documents. Not one more taxpayer dollar should go to Planned Parenthood and I intend to make that goal a reality,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-extend-highway-trust-fund/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to Extend Highway Trust Fund | 2015-07-22 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced an amendment to H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill, which would extend the Highway Trust Fund. The amendment would boost economic growth and create jobs by providing an incentive for companies to bring back some of the estimated $2 trillion in foreign earnings that are being held overseas. All tax revenues from the repatriation program would be transferred into the Highway Trust Fund, helping to address the urgent federal funding crisis facing America’s highways, bridges, and transit systems. Sen. Paul originally introduced S. 981, The Invest in Transportation Act of 2015 earlier this year, co-sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). “Our nation’s highways and bridges are in desperate need of repair and demand our immediate attention. My amendment is a fiscally responsible approach to providing the necessary resources to correct the shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund, while strengthening the U.S. economy and keeping jobs here at home,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-finds-federal-taxpayers-downwind-small-town-sewer-debacle-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Finds Federal Taxpayers Downwind of Small Town Sewer Debacle in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-07-20 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition uncovers millions of taxpayer dollars wasted on a costly gamble that didn’t exactly payoff. The city of Ray, North Dakota, spent $2.5 million, including $760,000 in low interest loans provided by the federal government, to increase the town’s sewer capacity. The only problem, the town’s population does not provide enough waste to support this plant so the city is now importing waste from surrounding areas in order to support this costly mistake. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. You may have seen Rob Port’s WatchDog.org article on the sewer debacle in Ray, ND. Expecting a population explosion from the Bakken oil boom, the town of about 600 people nearly tripled their sewer capacity at a cost of $2.5 million. But then oil prices dropped, the boom cooled, and the population in Ray never took off as expected. Now the city does not have enough waste to run its plant and is importing, well, sewage from surrounding areas.[1] A little town made a big gamble and is now importing sewage. Kind of a funny story; that is, until you learn that the federal taxpayer footed much of the bill for the sewer upgrade. That’s right, through the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, federal dollars passed through the state and on to Ray as low interest loans, of which more than $760k was later forgiven.[2] And, that is not counting other federal funds that may have come in to the local water authority. But this was not just an unforeseen error. No, Ray and the state seemed to have gotten caught up in the excitement of a boom and missed the forest for the trees. Ray’s 2015 comprehensive plan forecast its population to grow by a minimum of 396 percent by the end of this decade.[3] But Williams County (where Ray is located), projected only 22 percent population growth county-wide by 2020, with a peak of 32 percent in … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-demands-vote-end-taxpayer-funding-planned-parenthood/ | Dr. Rand Paul Demands Vote to End Taxpayer Funding of Planned Parenthood | 2015-07-17 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced today his intention to demand a vote in the U.S. Senate to eliminate taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood. In the coming week, Sen. Paul will seek legislative action that will block taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, an average of nearly $500 million annually. Sen. Paul will use all legislative vehicles at his disposal in order to ensure there is immediate action on this proposal. “The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood, a partially taxpayer-funded organization, is shocking and appalling. Recent video revelations, involving potentially criminal activity, make it more obvious than ever that this organization has absolutely zero respect for the sanctity of human life and is an affront to the most basic human dignity enshrined in our founding documents. Not one more taxpayer dollar should go to Planned Parenthood and I intend to make that goal a reality,” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-votes-against-flawed-education-reform-bill/ | Dr. Rand Paul Votes Against Flawed Education Reform Bill | 2015-07-16 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul issued a statement today following the U.S. Senate’s vote on S.1177, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). “I believe education is the great equalizer, but Washington’s intrusion in the classroom leaves most kids behind. This bill is not the solution, as it retains some of No Child Left Behind’s biggest flaws – a lack of adequate parental choice, a federal testing mandate, and continued support for Common Core,” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senators-paul-and-mcconnell-introduce-legislation-require-congressional-review-over-bureau/ | Senators Paul and McConnell Introduce Legislation to Require Congressional Review over the Bureau of Prisons | 2015-07-16 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell introduced The Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2015 today. The legislation requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. Unlike most Department of Justice (DOJ) administrators or directors, the Director of BOP is appointed by the U.S. Attorney General without the approval of the Senate. The Director of the BOP supervises Kentuckians who work at Kentucky’s five federal prisons and who protect the public under hazardous conditions on a daily basis. Kentucky corrections officers have repeatedly called for the BOP to take additional steps to mitigate risks to officer safety from violent inmates. Subjecting the BOP Director to the same congressional review as other top law enforcement agency chiefs within DOJ will ensure greater responsiveness by the agency to the safety needs of its nearly 40,000 dedicated federal corrections employees. The BOP Director, who oversees operations at 122 federal facilities, also administers the controversial Federal Prisons Industries (FPI) program. This entity directly competes against the private sector, including small businesses in Kentucky, for government contracts and is inherently advantaged by its ability to pay federal prisoners less than private sector workers. “No agency as large as the Bureau of Prisons should have so little accountability. Our bill will ensure the concerns of those who work in the prisons are heard and acted upon. It will also ensure the small businesses affected by competition from the bureau have their voices heard,” Senator Paul said. “Currently, the director of the Bureau of Prisons has significant budget authority over taxpayer dollars without confirmation by the U.S. Senate,” Senator McConnell said. “The legislation I introduced today with Senator Paul will bring some much needed accountability and transparency to the BOP, which is important for all agencies within the Department of Jus… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-exposes-nsfs-illogical-research-project-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Exposes NSF’s Illogical Research Project in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes $175,950 spent by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund a research project seeking to predict how an individual will feel following an emotional decision making process. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. National Science Foundation – ‘The Waste Report’ Have you ever had a salesman try to talk you into a purchase you were not too sure about? Maybe he was selling you on watching the Super Bowl on a huge new T.V. or trying to convince you of the attention you will receive in a sporty new car. That sales technique counts on the buyer ignoring more logical, fact based considerations while focusing more on a feeling you may or may not have in the future. Well, the National Science Foundation feels sorry for people that make poor decisions based on emotion and is hoping to help with a taxpayer funded $175,950 grant to research ways to better predict a person’s feelings about the decisions they make.[1] “People making important decisions-such as whether to undergo surgery, listen to public health warnings, or pursue a specific career- will be better informed if they can accurately predict how the outcomes of their decisions will make them feel.”[2] Using logic over emotion in making decisions should just be common sense and not warrant any research; but worse still is the government spending taxpayer money to figure out how people can better use emotion to make decisions. Maybe this grant was the product of an emotional decision based on feelings. It certainly wasn’t based on a logical use of your hard earned money. So the next time there is a hurricane warning or a medical professional says you need a procedure, Uncle Sam wants to make sure you are fully in touch with your feelings when you make the decision on whether or not follow expert advice. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-pact-act-legislation-stop-sanctuary-cities-harboring-criminal-illegal/ | Dr. Rand Paul Introduces the PACT Act, Legislation to Stop “Sanctuary Cities” from Harboring Criminal Illegal Aliens | 2015-07-13 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced legislation that would prevent “sanctuary cities” from harboring violent and dangerous criminal aliens, known as the Protecting American Citizens Together Act (PACT Act). The PACT Act would require state and local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the arrest of an illegal immigrant and detain an illegal immigrant if requested to do so by ICE. Additionally, if the Bureau of Prisons receives a request from ICE to transfer an illegal immigrant to their custody, that request will take priority over the request from state and local agencies. Under this legislation, localities will be required to follow the new requirements as a condition of receiving federal law enforcement grants. “Our nation now has whole cities and states who stand up and willingly defy federal immigration laws in order to protect illegal immigrants who have broken our nation’s laws. This must end and it must end now. My bill makes it clear, the American people will not stand for cities harboring violent criminals,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the PACT Act in its entirety. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-announces-legislation-block-sanctuary-cities-receiving-federal-law-enforcement/ | Dr. Rand Paul Announces Legislation to Block “Sanctuary Cities” from Receiving Federal Law Enforcement Grants | 2015-07-09 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced plans to introduce legislation that would prevent “sanctuary cities” from harboring violent and dangerous criminal aliens. The legislation would require state and local law enforcement to notify the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the arrest of an illegal immigrant and detain an illegal immigrant if requested to do so by ICE. If the Bureau of Prisons receives a request from ICE to transfer an illegal immigrant to their custody, that request will take priority over the request from state and local agencies. Under this legislation, localities will be required to follow the new requirements as a condition of receiving federal law enforcement grants. “Our nation now has whole cities and states who stand up and willingly defy federal immigration laws in order to protect illegal immigrants who have broken our nation’s laws. This must end and it must end now. My bill makes it clear, the American people will not stand for cities harboring violent criminals,” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-issues-statement-armys-reduction-and-realignment-impacting-kentuckys-military/ | Sen. Rand Paul Issues Statement on Army’s Reduction and Realignment Impacting Kentucky’s Military Installations | 2015-07-09 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today issued the following statement regarding the announcement of Army personnel reductions and the impact on military installations in Kentucky. “Kentucky has absorbed a disproportionate amount of troop cuts in the past and, while I am disappointed to see any more from Fort Campbell, it is reassuring to know the Army recognizes the value of our bases and backed away from its earlier plans for devastating new cuts,” Sen. Paul said. In the past year, Sens. Paul and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued two letters to the Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel voicing their concerns with the proposed Army cuts. Both letters can be found HERE and HERE. In January 2015, Sen. Paul participated in the Fort Campbell and Fort Knox community listening sessions and spoke in favor of protecting and expanding Army personnel at both Kentucky bases. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-raises-curtain-federal-government-giveaway-hollywood-elite-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Raises the Curtain on Federal Government Giveaway to Hollywood Elite in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-07-06 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project to catalog egregious examples of wasteful spending throughout the U.S. government. This week’s edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ uncovers $25,000 of taxpayer funds granted by the U.S. National Endowment of The Arts to subsidize exhibit planning for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s (the academy) museum. The academy is widely known for holding the Oscars, an annual award show that profits the academy roughly $50 million each year. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. National Endowment of the Arts – Lights, Camera, Waste Since well before Jed Clampett moved his family to Beverly Hills, Hollywood and the movie industry has been synonymous with wealth. At the center of it all is The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the academy), familiar to most Americans for its annual awards show commonly known as the Oscars. So one may ask, why an organization in an industry known for an abundance of wealth needs a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment of The Arts to help plan exhibits for the Academy Museum, which is set to break ground later this year?[1] The grant is supposed to help fund decision making about the, “exhibition’s conceptual themes, selection of related artist projects and creation of a film/film clip listing, artifact checklist, and preliminary interpretive plans.”[2] But, while Uncle Sam helps pay to plan the museum’s exhibit, one item we know will be in the museum is the Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle from, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which the academy bought for a cool $344,000.[3] In addition to scores of Hollywood brass ponying up donations to the museum, the academy is flush with cash; it makes profits of roughly $50 million on the Oscars alone.[4] And, while $25,000 might be small in the scope of the federal budget or in Hollywood, it is over half what the average worker makes in a year,[5] and equals the full federal tax lia… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:20:34Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-federal-insurance-boondoggle-costing-310-million-annually/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights a Federal Insurance Boondoggle Costing $310 Million Annually | 2015-06-29 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the newest edition to ‘The Waste Report.’ ‘The Waste Report’ is an ongoing project to catalog egregious examples of wasteful spending throughout the U.S. government. This week’s edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ exposes a loophole in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) crop insurance program, costing American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Each year, the USDA pays out on crop insurance claims for “prevented planting” to farmers who cannot plant their crops due to extreme weather. However, exploiting the generality of law, farmers with seasonal wetlands that regularly flood in planting season but dry other times, are raking in approximately $310 million annually in crop insurance payments. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. Department of Agriculture – ‘The Waste Report’ Insurance protects against the rare and unforeseen, not the regular and predictable. You insure your car against accident, not oil change. But, when the government is the insurer, this kind of obvious logic does not apply. Surprisingly (or maybe not), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is paying out hundreds of millions of dollars annually in “prevented planting” crop insurance to farmers who cannot plant their corps in SEASONAL WETLANDS.[1] At issue is the intersection of the “prevented planting” crop insurance and prairie potholes. What are prairie potholes? They are basically ground depressions that fill with water in the rainy spring and dry out in the summer and fall, and are mostly located in the upper-Midwest. The “prevented planting” program is taxpayer subsidized crop insurance that compensates farmers when extreme weather prevents planting. The problem is, some farmers claim prevented planting each year for the regular flooding of prairie potholes.[2] In fact, farmers in sixty-five counties, mostly in the Dakotas, have gotten payouts; 14 years in a row, and in another twenty-nine counties have gotten payments 13 of the last 14 years. In… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-calls-out-nsf-wasting-money-duplicative-study-measurement-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Calls Out NSF for Wasting Money on Duplicative Study Measurement in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-06-22 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the newest edition to ‘The Waste Report.’ ‘The Waste Report’ is an ongoing project to catalog egregious examples of wasteful spending throughout the U.S. government. This week’s edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ uncovers millions of dollars spent each year by the U.S. government on an office to promote and study weight and measurement in relation to the metric system. Incongruously, the government is also spending $188,000 to fund a university professor to write a book to explain why Americans cannot adapt to using the metric system. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. National Science Foundation – Measuring Waste A teacher may have tried to teach you the metric system, but you probably still do not know what a 22? C temperature or 10K run really means. Now the National Science Foundation is spending $188,000 to fund a university professor to write a book on “The Measure of Modernity: Standards and Standardization in the United States.”[1] The grant synopsis notes, “A comprehensive history of standards and standardization in America does not exist…” The reasoning may be found elsewhere in the synopsis where it says, “they [measurements and standards] are quite pervasive but rarely appreciated.”[2] While measurements and standard may be rarely appreciated, the U.S. government does spend millions of dollars each year on an office to promote and study weight and measurement, the Office of Weights and Measures at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. One of their functions is to promote broader acceptance of the metric system in the United Sates.[3] In fact, the U.S. government has been promoting the metric system for 140 years. Why? Well, it would probably surprise most Americans to know that in 1875, the U.S. became a party to the Treaty of the Meter which officially put the United States on the metric system. But official or not, as was observed by the Monroe Administration in 1821, the free-market had caused a coalescen… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-passes-amendment-benefitting-kentucky-army-bases-and-communities/ | Sen. Rand Paul Passes Amendment Benefitting Kentucky Army Bases and Communities | 2015-06-18 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) today secured passage of his Service Members and Communities Count Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Paul Amendment No. 1678 requires the U.S. Census Bureau to count all deployed service members at the base or port in which they resided prior to deployment. Presently, deployed members are counted as part of the U.S. overseas population, instead of in the community where they and their families actually reside. In 2010, approximately 10,000 service members stationed at Fort Campbell were deployed from the installation at the time of the census, costing the community in the population count. Sen. Paul’s amendment will ensure that the next census accurately counts the communities where these service members live. Sen. Paul first introduced his bill in 2012. “My Service Members and Communities Count Act will ensure the Kentucky communities that proudly host and serve our Army families receive the resources they need to provide for our military families,” Sen. Paul said. Additionally, Sen. Paul voted in favor of an amendment introduced by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) which would require the Army to maintain a minimum of 32 brigade combat teams in the regular and reserve components. Since 2013, Kentucky has absorbed a disproportionate amount of active duty Army reductions and transfers at both Fort Campbell and Fort Knox. Had it passed, the amendment would have prevented any further elimination of brigade combat teams in Kentucky and across the country, however it failed 26-73. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-arming-all-pilots-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces the Arming All Pilots Act of 2015 | 2015-06-17 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced S.1594, the Arming All Pilots Act of 2015. This legislation will increase training opportunities to encourage pilots to participate in the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) Program. Specifically, the Arming All Pilots Act will expand the number of training facilities used for initial and recurrent training, including firearms requalification. Additionally, the bill will require a five-day initial training, with two days of in-person classroom attendance and additional on-line training options. Recurrent training for officers would be set at two days every five years. “The Federal Flight Deck Officer Program is an important element in our continued efforts to ensure the safety of airline passengers, and my bill will make it possible for more pilots to get trained and protect flyers. Pilots regularly tell me they’ve experienced problems with the availability of training under the current program; my bill addresses those concerns and ensures that participants in the program have access to licenses and the critical training they need,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the Arming All Pilots Act of 2015 in its entirety. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-votes-support-ndaa-amendment-arm-kurds-fight-against-isis/ | Sen. Rand Paul Votes in Support of NDAA Amendment to Arm the Kurds in Fight Against ISIS | 2015-06-16 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) issued a statement today following the U.S. Senate’s vote on Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Amendment No. 1549 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment would allow the U.S. to provide direct assistance to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a critical partner in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). Specifically, the amendment would provide temporary, emergency authority for the President to provide weapons and training directly to Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces. The amendment, No. 1549, failed passage with a vote of 54-45. “The Iraqi Kurdish forces are skilled fighters that are ready and willing to defeat ISIS, but often do not have the weapons to do so. As one of our closest allies in the Middle East, I fully support sending arms to the Kurdish fighters. This amendment would help ensure the Kurds have the support they need in order to defeat radical Islam,” Sen. Paul said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-enact-congressional-transparency/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Legislation to Enact Congressional Transparency | 2015-06-15 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today reintroduced S.1575, Write the Laws Act, S.1572, One Subject at a Time Act, and S.1571, Read the Bills Act. These pieces of legislation, originally introduced in the 112th Congress, will restore the constitutional principle of separation of powers, end the practice of including more than one subject in a single bill, and preserve the constitutional authority of Congress. “Too often in Congress, legislation is pushed through without hearings, amendments, or debate. I firmly believe the American people have a right to be part of the legislative process. My bills will allow citizens sufficient time to read and give input to members of Congress as they consider legislation impacting the lives of all Americans. I will continue to stand by my pledge to increase transparency and accessibility in the U.S. Senate,” Sen. Paul said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-newest-edition-waste-report-1/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Newest Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-06-15 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul released the newest edition to ‘The Waste Report.’ ‘The Waste Report’ is an ongoing project cataloging egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. This week’s report uncovers more than $850,000 of taxpayer dollars in the U.S. National Science Foundation spent on winemaking programs for Community Colleges in Washington state. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. National Science Foundation – $850,000 Washington Community College Winemaking Programs It’s no secret Americans are embracing wine, leading entrepreneurs to plant fields of grapes across America. Washington State has been at the forefront of this trend since winemaking first expanded beyond California’s borders decades ago. In fact, according to the USDA, as of 2013, wine is a $230 million industry in Washington alone.[1] So with such a booming, well established industry, why is the National Science Foundation providing $853,000 to Washington community colleges to fund winemaking programs?[2] This is especially strange given that community colleges throughout the Pacific Northwest have offered wine-centric degrees for years. Two of the recipients of this grant have well established programs; The South Seattle College, started the Northwest Wine Academy in 2004[3], and Yakama Valley Community College began its Vineyard and Winery Technology program in 2010[4] The justification, according to the grant synopsis is that last year, an industry assessment (available on the Washington State University website) found the state’s wine industry could be in a labor shortage, needing more than six thousand new workers by 2018. But, a closer look at this study shows, that even at the upper extreme, only 4% of new workers will require an Associate’s Degree. The vast majority, 5990 new workers (94%), will need no degree.[5] Most troubling, NSF is often touted as being critical to funding cutting-edge, basic research that the private market would not. Yet this grant does not fund resear… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-holds-hearing-wasteful-spending-federal-government/ | Sen. Rand Paul Holds Hearing on Wasteful Spending in the Federal Government | 2015-06-10 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) for the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) is holding a hearing today entitled, “Wasteful Spending in the Federal Government: An Outside Perspective.” During the hearing, Sen. Paul will highlight areas of domestic wasteful spending within the federal government and discuss possible approaches to mitigate and eliminate such waste. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) will also be participating in the hearing. Witnesses testifying in the hearing include: Romina Boccia, Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste; Chris Edwards, Director of Tax Policy and editor of DownsizingGovernment.org; Steve Ellis, Vice President of Taxpayers for Common Sense; and Don Kettl, Professor of Public Administration at the University of Maryland. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s opening remarks. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S OPENING REMARKS AT THE HEARING TRANSCRIPT Sen. Rand Paul: I call this hearing of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee to order. The topic today is going to be government waste and how we can practically to do something to curb waste, but also to ameliorate the problem we have with the growing deficit. We have a deficit this year that is expected to be about $583 billion and some we say we are fixing the deficit because it’s getting smaller, yet the overall debt is growing enormously larger. We have about a million dollars that we borrow every minute and I think this is a threat to our economy and some economists said that it’s costing us millions of jobs just because of the burden of this debt. So what we are going to do is talk about some of the waste and some of this has been talked about in the past, but my hope is from the discussion today we can actually itemize some of this. And as we itemize this, and then actually give advice to some of the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-foreign-relations-committee-votes-sen-pauls-stand-israel-amendment/ | Senate Foreign Relations Committee Votes on Sen. Paul’s Stand with Israel Amendment | 2015-06-09 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee today voted on Senator Rand Paul’s amendment to the U.S. Department of State Operations Authorization and Embassy Security Act. This legislation, which holds the same text as the Stand with Israel Act of 2015, would halt all U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) until the P.A. renounces violence, purges terrorists from its ranks, and recognizes the nation of Israel. In the 113th Congress, Sen. Rand Paul originally introduced this legislation in response to the P.A.’s attempts to form a unity government with the terrorists of Hamas-a unity government that remains. The amendment, however, did not pass with a vote of 5-14. “I am deeply disappointed with the vote against my Stand with Israel amendment today. American tax dollars continue to flow to governments that openly seek the destruction of one of our nation’s biggest allies, Israel. My support has not and will not waiver; I will continue pushing to cut off all U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority until they recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, renounce terrorism, and purge terrorists from their ranks,” Sen. Paul said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senators-introduce-amendment-protect-against-indefinite-detention/ | Senators Introduce Amendment To Protect Against Indefinite Detention | 2015-06-09 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON—Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Due Process Guarantee amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment is designed to protect Americans from being detained indefinitely, without charge or trial. The amendment aims to end ongoing legal ambiguities by affirming and strengthening the principles behind the Non-Detention Act of 1971. “The indefinite detention of a U.S. citizen without due process is fundamentally un-American. Our founding fathers believed so firmly in the right to trial by jury that they enshrined it in the body of the Constitution, and again in the Sixth Amendment,” Sen. Paul said. “We can and will vigorously investigate and prosecute all who seek to do us harm, and we can do so while respecting the constitutional liberties of American citizens.” “America should never waiver in vigilantly pursuing those who would commit, or plot to commit, acts of treason against our country. But the federal government should not be allowed to indefinitely imprison any American on the mere accusation of treason without affording them the due process guaranteed by our Constitution,” Sen. Mike Lee said. “By forbidding the government from detaining Americans without trial absent explicit congressional approval, the Due Process Guarantee amendment strikes the right balance between protecting our security and the civil liberties of each citizen.” “Detaining Americans captured within the United States indefinitely without trial or even charge is a clear violation of our Constitution and our values, and it must not be permitted,” said Sen. Feinstein. “We’ve seen over and over again that our criminal justice system is well-equipped to interrogate and convict terrorists, and I support that process. We need to stand strong against terrorism, and we need to do so within the bounds of U.S. law. This amendment has been approved by the Senate in the past but not enacted; I’m hopeful that th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-newest-edition-waste-report-0/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Newest Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-06-08 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Uncovers a U.S. Government Funded Afghan Cricket League WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the fifth edition to ‘The Waste Report.’ ‘The Waste Report’ is an ongoing project to catalog egregious examples of wasteful spending throughout the U.S. government. The newest edition of the ‘The Waste Report’ uncovers a U.S government funded cricket league in Afghanistan. Grant data from the U.S. State Department shows the Afghan cricket league will cost American taxpayers half a million dollars this year alone. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. State Department Waste – Afghanistan Cricket League Imagine if the federal government funded a major U.S. broadcaster to put on a baseball tournament, featuring MLB players, and all in the name of combating gang violence? Surprisingly, the U.S. State Department (State) is doing almost exactly that in Afghanistan, by propping up the Sixers Cricket League. Last year the federal government gave One TV, a for-profit Afghan television station, roughly $350,000, to “support the development of a national cricket league [principally a tournament] in Afghanistan,” In addition to sponsoring the league, this grant helped train personnel on sports broadcasting and production. [1] Just last month, State published a new grant opportunity to put on the same tournament this year and again, includes training “Afghans in the production of professional sports broadcasts (specifically cricket).” This time, the grant is for up to $500,000 with an option for a one year extension. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to work with the Afghan Cricket Board (which is the sport’s governing body), but also One TV, as they retain the exclusive broadcasting rights to the tournament. [2] The idea behind the cricket league is to provide an outlet for young men who may be susceptible to extremism in Afghanistan.[3] But instead of something like a little league, these at-risk youths mostly get to watch on TV, which may be hard given only 0.003 percent of the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendments-ndaa-protect-kentuckys-military-installments/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendments to NDAA to Protect Kentucky’s Military Installments | 2015-06-05 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul this week introduced the following amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As a fierce advocate for our nation’s armed forces and staunch defender of Kentucky’s Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, Sen. Paul introduced two amendments specifically designed to protect Kentucky’s military installments. Amendment No. 1678 would require the Census Bureau to count all deployed service members at the base or port in which they resided prior to deployment. This much-needed change will create one consistent and logical method for the counting of deployed service members. From 2009 through 2010, thousands of service members were sent to Afghanistan to support the surge efforts, which overlapped with the 2010 census collection. “Families and communities provide a vital role in supporting the men and women protecting our nation’s freedom in the Armed Forces. My amendment would count the deployed service members according to where they actually live, creating a better representation of the population and ensuring the communities have the resources needed to support our troops and their families,” Sen. Paul said. Amendment No. 1679 would specifically allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to produce natural gas at Fort Knox. “While the development of natural gas resources underlying federal lands is generally the responsibility of the Department of the Interior, my amendment would provide an exception for previously existing natural gas development at Fort Knox. Allowing the Department of Defense to produce natural gas at Fort Knox would not only be cost-effective for the government, but beneficial for the Fort Knox community,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-budget-amendments-ndaa/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Budget Amendments to NDAA | 2015-06-05 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul this week introduced the following amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These amendments are largely aimed at eliminating inefficiencies and wasted funds within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). As a fierce advocate for our nation’s armed forces, Sen. Paul believes these amendments will help ensure that DoD funds are spent on our most critical defense needs, as efficiently as possible. Below is the list of Sen. Paul’s amendments with summaries. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Amendment No. 1543 – “Bonus for Cost Cutters” Allows U.S. government agency’s inspector general to pay a bonus of up to $10,000 when a federal employee identifies surplus or unneeded funds; 90% of those savings go towards deficit reduction. Amendment No. 1545 – Budget Point Order against appropriations for unauthorized programs Creates a budget point of order against funding programs that have been expired for more than 5 years. Forces Congress to eliminate appropriations for programs that do not have authorization. Amendment No. 1546 – Increase in transfer authority (Sequester Flexibility Act) Grants U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) $50 billion in transfer authority between accounts to mitigate the effects of sequestration. Amendment No. 1547 – Bonus for Cost Cutters for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Provides incentives for DoD contractors to save money including ability to keep a portion of their savings and contracting incentives for future contracts. Amendment No. 1548 – Eliminating duplicative programs Allows the U.S. Secretary of Defense the ability to work with other government agencies to eliminate duplicative programs performed by other sectors of the government. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-offers-amendment-ndaa-declassify-911-congressional-inquiry/ | Sen. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to NDAA to Declassify 9/11 Congressional Inquiry | 2015-06-05 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul this week introduced Amendment No. 1680 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would require President Obama to declassify and make available to the public the redacted 28 pages from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001. Similarly, Sen. Paul introduced the Transparency for the Families of 9/11 Victims and Survivors Act of 2015 earlier this week, co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “For over 13 years, the family members of the victims of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have been deprived of the details surrounding the redacted 28 pages of the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry. I firmly believe the American people deserve a government that instills trust and a restoration of their sense of security, and think my amendment is a step in the right direction,” Sen. Paul said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-paul-mcconnell-and-whitfield-press-energy-secretary-moniz-paducah-doe-site/ | Paul, McConnell and Whitfield Press Energy Secretary Moniz on Paducah DOE Site | 2015-06-04 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Rand Paul, and Congressman Ed Whitfield today met with Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss the immediate and long term future of the Paducah DOE site. The delegation, on behalf of the community, stressed the importance of DOE’s commitment to cleanup and reindustrialization in Paducah in addition to securing a long term acquisition strategy and future for the site. “The Paducah DOE site is extremely important to the people of Paducah, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and to each of us,” stated McConnell, Paul and Whitfield. “It is crucial that DOE develop a long-term strategy for the site to ensure that ongoing and future deactivation and decontamination work is done properly and executed in a timely manner. The DOE must maximize the resources it has been provided to promote job growth and preservation in Paducah, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that DOE commits to a long-term plan.” Recent action taken by the Kentucky Congressional Delegation on behalf of Paducah: ü McConnell, Paul and Whitfield Urge DOE to Release Cleanup Funding for Paducah ü Whitfield Presses Energy Secretary on Paducah Cleanup Efforts (video) ü McConnell Advocates on Behalf of Paducah to DOE Secretary (video) ü McConnell, Paul and Whitfield Urge DOE to move quickly implementing the contract ü Whitfield Secures Over $257 Million for Continued Cleanup of Paducah DOE Site in House Appropriations Bill | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-warner-introduce-bonuses-cost-cutters-amendment-ndaa/ | Sens. Paul, Warner Introduce Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Amendment to NDAA | 2015-06-04 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mark Warner (D-VA) today introduced Amendment 1543 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), known as Bonuses for Cost-Cutters. Building on the current federal law, the amendment would allow a U.S. government agency’s inspector general to pay a bonus of up to $10,000 when a federal employee identifies surplus or unneeded funds. “Federal employees, under the current law, have a perverse incentive to spend all of their agency’s annual budget before the end of the year. Through bonus incentives, my amendment will reduce the federal deficit and reverse the trend toward agency bloat, by combating inefficiency and mismanagement of funds in the government,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-unveils-bipartisan-transparency-families-911-victims-and-survivors-act/ | Sen. Rand Paul Unveils the Bipartisan “Transparency for the Families of 9/11 Victims and Survivors Act” | 2015-06-02 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), U.S. Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), and Thomas Massie (R-KY) and former U.S. Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) stood today with family members of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to announce new bipartisan legislation, S.1471, known as the Transparency for the Families of 9/11 Victims and Survivors Act of 2015. The legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), would require President Obama to declassify and make available to the public the redacted 28 pages from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001, which have been obscured from the public for over 13 years. Also participating in the press conference was Terry Strada, National Chair of the 9/11 Families and Survivors United For Justice Against Terrorism, her daughter Kaitlyn Strada, and Abraham Scott, husband of a victim of the 9/11 attacks. “I stand with my colleagues today to call for the release of the final 28 pages of the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry. I firmly believe the family members of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have the right to know the details surrounding the tragedies that occurred on that sad day. The American people deserve a government that instills trust and a restoration of their sense of security, and I believe that the Transparency for the Families of the 9/11 Victims and Survivors Act is a step in the right direction,” Sen. Paul said. “I introduced H. Res. 14 to urge President Obama to declassify the 28 pages of the Joint Inquiry report into 9/11 because the 9/11 families deserve peace and the American people deserve the truth,” said Rep. Jones. “Releasing these pages will enhance our national security, not harm it. I am pleased that Senator Paul, Senator Wyden, and Senator Gillibrand have introduced companion legislation in the Senate. I look forward to the day when the 28 pages are declassified, and I … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-wyden-release-joint-amendments-call-votes-proposals-expand-surveillance-reforms/ | Sens. Paul, Wyden Release Joint Amendments, Call For Votes On Proposals to Expand Surveillance Reforms | 2015-06-02 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced nine amendments to reform U.S. surveillance programs, enhance protections for American’s personal information and improve transparency regarding intelligence activities. Wyden and Paul called on Republican leaders to allow votes on amendments to strengthen privacy protections, rather than forcing votes on amendments that would water down the USA Freedom Act. The joint amendments would: · Amendment 1446: Require the government to get a warrant before collecting personal information from third parties · Amendment 1441: Raise the standard for government collection of call records under FISA from “reasonable grounds” to “probable cause” · Amendment 1442: Limit the government’s ability to use information gathered under intelligence authorities in unrelated criminal cases · Amendment 1443: Make it easier to challenge the use of illegally obtained surveillance information in criminal proceedings · Amendment 1454: Prohibit the government from requiring hardware and software companies to deliberately weaken encryption and other security features · Amendment 1444: Clarify the bill’s definition of “specific selection terms” · Amendment 1445: Require court approval for National Security Letters · Amendment 1455: Prohibit the government from conducting warrantless reviews of Americans’ email and other communications under section 702 of the Foreign intelligence Surveillance Act · Amendment 1460: Strengthen the bill with additional provisions from previously introduced surveillance reform legislation. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-waste-powered-sun-sen-rand-paul-releases-waste-report-june-1-2015/ | Waste, Powered by the Sun – Sen. Rand Paul Releases ‘The Waste Report’ for June 1, 2015 | 2015-06-01 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the fourth edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project highlighting egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In this latest edition, ‘The Waste Report’ exposes $8 million of waste spent by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on 7000 defective solar panels for a VA Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, that were never able to be turned on. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – $8 Million Defective Solar Panels In the latest example of a federal solar project gone wrong, the Little Rock, AR Veterans Hospital made an $8 million investment on nearly 7000 solar panels that were never turned on. Now the VA is removing those panels to make way for a new parking structure, which supposedly will house the solar panels on its roof.[1] Local news reports show decisions were made on the parking project with plenty of time to prevent the wasted spending on the solar panels. The parking project was approved in August 2012, six month before the solar project broke ground, and the site was selected for the parking structure a month before the solar project was complete.[2] But it was not the parking structure that prevented the panels from being turned on. According to local news, the solar project had design flaws that caused difficulties linking up to the local power grid. ArkansasMatters.com reports that a representative for the solar project contractor likened the project to baking a cake, saying, “We didn’t have a good recipe here and we’re afraid of toasting something.”[3] Even if the project had come off as planned, the VA estimates the solar panels would save about $150,000 a year (about 12 percent) in electricity costs. Meaning it would take 53 years for the panels to pay for themselves.[4] Members of the Arkansas congressional delegation, including Senator John Boozman and Rep. French Hill (R)-who represents Little Rock, are asking the Inspector General to investigate th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:59Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-remarks-expiration-patriot-act/ | Sen. Rand Paul Remarks on Expiration of PATRIOT Act | 2015-05-31 | 2015 | 2015-05 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul made the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor tonight regarding the expiration of the PATRIOT Act. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s floor speech. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S REMARKS ON THE EXPIRATION OF PATRIOT AC TRANSCRIPT Sen. Rand Paul: Tonight begins the process of ending bulk collection. The bill will ultimately pass but we always look for silver linings. I think the bill may be replacing one form of bulk collection with another, but the government after this bill passes will no longer collect your phone records. My concern is that the phone companies still may do the same thing. Currently, my understanding is the N.S.A. Is at the phone company sucking up the phone records and sending them to Utah. My concern is under the new program, that the records will still be sucked up into N.S.A. Computers but the computers will be at the phone company, not in Utah. So the question is, will it be a distinction without a difference? The question also will be, will this be individualized? One of the things about the Fourth Amendment that was the biggest part of the Fourth Amendment for our founding fathers was that a warrant should be individualized. General warrants were what we fought the revolution over. James Otis fought a famous case in the 1760’s and he found against the British soldiers writing their own warrants. The interesting thing is part of the PATRIOT Act allows our police to write their own warrants. We have something called national security letters. These have been done by the hundreds of thousands. Interestingly, when the president was in the senate, he was opposed to national security letters and said that they should have judicial warrants. Now it’s kind of interesting that in this bill that will pass – it’s supported by the president, supported by the Director of National Intelligence and now supported in a wide bipartisan fashion. It concerns me that the president that supports the bulk data collection and has been perform… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:17:17Z |
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