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Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press

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text
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has_text
1 if body text was successfully extracted
date_source
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bioguide_id
Bioguide ID of the member

114 rows where chamber = "Senate", state = "KY" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending

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  • 2016 · 114 ✖

state 1

  • KY · 114 ✖

party 1

  • Republican 114

chamber 1

  • Senate · 114 ✖
url title date ▲ year month party chamber state member_name bioguide_id domain scraper source date_source text has_text collected_at updated_at
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-airs-spending-grievances-special-festivus-edition-waste-report/ Dr. Rand Paul Airs Spending Grievances with Special ‘Festivus’ Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ 2016-12-21 2016 2016-12 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 a special “Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2016” edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In its second year, Dr. Paul’s Festivus edition features 37 examples of wasteful spending, misplaced priorities, and bad management in the federal government that have cost taxpayers nearly two billion dollars. Highlights include: over $300,000 on TVs that sat waiting on a renovation project and turned out to be the wrong kind, $594,000 to subsidize Washington, D.C.-area concerts against the National Park Service’s wishes, $1,250,000 to produce a superhero cartoon in Pakistan, and $6,000,000 to renovate a Fort Belvoir cafeteria that closed permanently months later. Not to mention sea monsters, shady land deals, dating, and selfies. . . you can find all this and more in Dr. Paul’s special Festivus “Waste Report” HERE. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-paul-murphy-franken-lee-applaud-decision-halt-some-military-arms-sales-saudi-arabia-call/ Paul, Murphy, Franken, Lee Applaud Decision to Halt Some Military Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Call for Further Actions 2016-12-15 2016 2016-12 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Bipartisan group of senators has voiced concerns over U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s military actions in Yemen WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) applauded a decision by the White House to halt some military arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but urged further action to end military support for a war marked by humanitarian abuses. Saudi Arabia has led a military campaign in Yemen with devastating humanitarian consequences and a security vacuum that has empowered U.S. terrorist enemies, al Qaeda, and ISIS. Senators Paul, Murphy, Franken, and Lee have been outspoken about their concerns that U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s military actions in Yemen threatens our own national security interests. “I’m pleased to see the administration respond to growing pressure over its arms sales to Saudi Arabia,” said Sen. Paul. “Halting this $350 million sale is a positive start, but it is only a drop in the bucket of the administration’s total support. Until President Obama ends his unilateral, unconstitutional involvement in this regional war, our voices will only get louder.” Sen. Murphy said, “Halting these weapons sales to the Saudis is the right call. But if we are concerned about U.S.-supplied bombs being dropped on civilians, we should also stop refueling the Saudi planes that are flying those missions. Both the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi-Saleh alliance have been responsible for killing innocent civilians and denying vitally needed humanitarian aid. Any further assistance – including weapons deliveries already in the pipeline – should be conditioned on prioritizing civilian protection and a willingness to compromise in political negotiations to end the war.” “Thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded in the U.S.-backed war in Yemen,” said Sen. Franken. “This is a tragedy that we cannot continue to support. I’m hopeful that this decision begins to send the message that the United States is not going to turn a blind eye to S… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-sen-rand-paul-msnbc-you-want-your-chief-diplomat-be-diplomat/ ICYMI: Sen. Rand Paul on MSNBC: ‘You Want Your Chief Diplomat To Be A Diplomat’ 2016-11-16 2016 2016-11 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senator Rand Paul joined MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to continue discussing his opposition to the consideration of former Ambassador John Bolton for Secretary of State. During the interview, he explained the importance of appointing someone with a “realist” point of view on foreign policy, as well as the need for our country’s “chief diplomat to be a diplomat, not a bomb thrower.” Sen. Paul also discussed the potential selection of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to the position. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL ON MSNBC’s “MORNING JOE” ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:07:19Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-sen-rand-paul-discusses-consideration-bolton-giuliani-sec-state/ ICYMI: Sen. Rand Paul Discusses Consideration of Bolton, Giuliani for Sec. of State 2016-11-15 2016 2016-11 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 appeared on CNN’s “Wolf” with Wolf Blitzer to talk about his opposition to the consideration of former Ambassador John Bolton for Secretary of State. Sen. Paul explained why Bolton, a well-known supporter of the Iraq War and regime change, does not represent President-Elect Trump’s promise of change and would be “totally unfit” to be Secretary of State. Sen. Paul also discussed the potential selection of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to the position. You can read Sen. Paul’s op-ed from today on this issue HERE. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL ON CNN’s “WOLF” ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:07:19Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-lawmakers-push-feds-clarify-conflicting-rules-growing-and-selling-hemp/ Lawmakers Push Feds to Clarify Conflicting Rules on Growing and Selling Hemp 2016-10-27 2016 2016-10 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – After new guidance created widespread confusion about when and where farmers can grow, research, and sell industrial hemp in the United States, U.S. Senators Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Jared Polis, D-Colo., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and 14 other members of Congress today pushed three federal agencies to clarify parts of the guidance that conflict with current laws. In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), issued a “statement of principles” to inform the public about industrial hemp grown in the United States. However, the announcement has created confusion for state agriculture departments and universities working to establish pilot programs to study the cultivation and potential commercial uses for industrial hemp. In addition to establishing a new definition of industrial hemp, the guidance could also have a limiting effect on sales and transportation of products made from hemp in states conducting pilot projects across the country. Currently, federal law prohibits American farmers from growing industrial hemp for commercial profit, but retail sales of products made with hemp are legal, and make up a $570 million industry annually. The 2014 Farm Bill allowed state agriculture departments and universities to conduct industrial hemp research pilot programs in states that have authorized the growing and production of industrial hemp, including Kentucky, Oregon, Colorado, and twenty five other states. “We are writing to comment on the recent progress the Administration has made with regards to industrial hemp and to urge further action to ensure that this important industry can thrive,” the members wrote in a letter to the USDA, DEA, and FDA. “Industrial hemp research and farming have opened doors for students, farmers, and small businesses in our states. At our universities, students and researchers are experiencing new learning opp… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-selfie-waste/ A Selfie of Waste 2016-10-25 2016 2016-10 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. How often have you wondered how taking a “selfie” and other pictures impacts your happiness? Thanks to a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant, taxpayers helped researchers at the University of California, Irvine find out. Today’s “Waste Report” details the results. You can find it HERE or below. *** Selfies, pictures of food, a beautiful sunset … we see them all over social media. While these pictures might make us smile, does taking them actually make us happier? That is a question you paid a group of researchers at the University of California, Irvine to answer. The study, released earlier this year, found that taking pictures with your smartphone can actually make you happier and, in some instances, more calm.[1] What probably will make you less happy and calm is that this study was partially funded by a $500k National Science Foundation grant – your tax dollars.[2] Instead of using existing technology, the researchers developed two smartphone apps (one overlaid the other) for participants to take photos and record their moods. This resulted in 17.5 percent of participants dropping out of the study in the first week due to “system incompatibility issues.”[3] That probably made no one happy. Nonetheless, could it be that pulling out your phone and snapping pictures is the secret to happiness? Well, not so fast. You cannot just take any picture – it seems the key to happy snapping (at least based on this study) is taking pictures of happy things. Who knew? The study broke participants up into three groups who, for three weeks, took pictures of themselves smiling, things that made them happy, or, for the third group, things they thought would make someone else happy (which they then sent to that person). Not surprisingly, taking happiness-focused pictures sho… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-named-taxpayers-friend/ Dr. Rand Paul Named ‘Taxpayers’ Friend’ 2016-10-24 2016 2016-10 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) honored U.S. Senator Rand Paul with its 2015 “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” for his commitment to fiscal responsibility, limited government, and lower taxes in the first session of the 114th Congress. “It’s a privilege to speak out for Kentuckians by saying ‘no’ to deeper debt and higher taxes,” said Dr. Paul. “Every vote against failed status-quo policies is a vote for more opportunity, more growth, and more prosperity for Kentucky, and I’m pleased to be named a ‘Taxpayers’ Friend’ by the National Taxpayers Union.” “Winning the Taxpayers’ Friend Award is no easy feat,” said NTU President Pete Sepp. “It takes a daily commitment to cast principled votes that put the Americans who pay government’s bills first.” NTU based its “Taxpayer Score” on 141 Senate and 267 House votes that affected fiscal policy in 2015, with Dr. Paul receiving an “A” rating for his consistent record. Only 57 members of Congress were recognized with the “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” for 2015. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-school-waste/ The School of Waste 2016-10-19 2016 2016-10 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. This week’s special, two-page Report features a $2.9 million hit to the taxpayers, a land deal where one person became “the seller, buyer, financer, and payer,” and a series of events that a fiction publisher might even reject for being too ridiculous. You can read the entire, shocking story in this week’s “Waste Report” HERE or below. *** In 2005, the private, non-profit Hope Academy (Hope) in coastal Mississippi suffered flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge. Hope was eligible for federal Public Assistance grants to rebuild. However, as the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security details in a recent report, with the federal taxpayers footing the bill, Hope wanted more.[1] Through unsupported claims, unethical deals, and multiple appeals, almost 10 years after Katrina, the taxpayer is currently out $2.9 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would have paid to mitigate the damages to the Hope Academy and elevate their building. However, Hope claimed rebuilding its original facility would be inadequate for it to service 90 students, its K-12 enrollment prior to the storm. Instead of rebuilding its 5,770 sq. ft. building, Hope claimed it now needed a new 13,319 sq. ft. (about 2.3 times larger) facility.[2] Of course, had the storm not hit, they presumably would have served those students in the old building. Nonetheless, after some back and forth, including appeals to the regional FEMA office, FEMA eventually agreed in 2010 to pay for the larger school. Upon gaining approval for a larger school building, Hope then claimed its 2/3rds of an acre lot was just too small and asked the taxpayers to pay an additional $1.4 million for a new 16-acre property (we will come back to this).[3] Were there 90 students? The larger fac… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-named-guardian-small-business/ Dr. Rand Paul Named ‘Guardian of Small Business’ 2016-10-17 2016 2016-10 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper LEXINGTON, KY – This morning, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) presented U.S. Senator Rand Paul with its “Guardian of Small Business Award” in recognition of his pro-small business record in Congress. The award was given to Dr. Paul by Tom Underwood, NFIB Kentucky State Director. “Every day, small business owners do more with less to make big things happen,” said Dr. Paul. “They’re risk-takers and innovators who quietly sacrifice to realize their dreams. I’m honored to receive this award, and I will proudly keep working to ensure Kentucky’s small businesses can thrive free from unnecessary government burdens.” ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-returns-over-3-million-us-taxpayers/ Dr. Rand Paul Returns Over $3 Million to U.S. Taxpayers 2016-10-17 2016 2016-10 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 announced today that he saved more than $620,000 from his official FY 2016 operating budget, bringing the total amount Dr. Paul has returned to the taxpayers to over $3,000,000 since taking office in January 2011. “It’s easy to picture Washington’s out-of-control spending as a massive, untamable beast,” said Dr. Paul. “So I determined to show change is possible by starting in the area under my control, while working everywhere else I could to stop ‘business as usual.’ “I promised Kentuckians I would stand for smaller, more efficient government, balanced budgets, and spending restraint. I’m proud my staff and I have kept that pledge while operating one of the most active federal offices.” Dr. Paul has also led the way for reform by introducing a five-year balanced budget and issuing a weekly “Waste Report” to shine a spotlight on reckless federal spending. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-epas-bulk-buy-transit-subsidy-gone-wrong/ EPA’s Bulk-Buy Transit Subsidy Gone Wrong 2016-10-12 2016 2016-10 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. Is a bulk discount always the best deal? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) answered that question the hard way when it recently overspent taxpayer funds by more than $135,000 to buy mass transit passes in bulk. This waste happened despite the King County Transit Authority issuing a clear caution and even providing a worksheet to check the math. You can get the full story in today’s “Waste Report” HERE or below. *** Call it the Costco dilemma: you have to buy 36 eggs at once, but the price per egg is less than at the grocery store. Will you eat that many eggs (about 2 a day) before they go bad? If the answer is “NO,” you may actually lose money on the “deal.” In economics, it is called the law of diminishing marginal utility,[1] and, unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got a lesson in economics when it lost over $135K of taxpayers’ money buying mass transit passes in bulk.[2] Since 1993, federal agencies have had the ability to provide a mass transit subsidy to employees as a fringe benefit, which is also aimed at reducing pollution and traffic congestion.[3] So it is no surprise that the EPA office in Seattle (a city known for environmental awareness and traffic congestion) would choose to offer this subsidy to its employees. Unfortunately, according to the Inspector General (IG) for the EPA, in 2014 and 2015, the EPA missed the forest for the trees on bulk purchases of mass transit passes. In an effort to get a bulk-buy discount, the EPA-Seattle bought annual mass transit passes for ALL of its employees, not just the ones signed up for the transit subsidy, resulting in the EPA, even with the discount, paying over $135k more than it would have otherwise.[4] The King County Transit Authority (from whom the passes were purchased) makes no … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-creates-faster-path-treatments-new-fda-legislation/ Dr. Rand Paul Creates Faster Path for Treatments with New FDA Legislation 2016-10-05 2016 2016-10 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator and physician Rand Paul has introduced S. 3466, the Accelerating New Pharmaceutical Competition Act, to reduce red tape at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by fast tracking FDA approval of medicines and devices that have met safety and efficacy standards in other developed nations. Unnecessary bureaucratic delays have kept more EpiPen alternatives off U.S. markets, contributing toward a virtual monopoly over auto-injected epinephrine and further inflating the treatment’s prices. “Competition is essential to expanding access to a wider variety of affordable options for patients,” said Dr. Paul. “Treatments proven by rigorous testing in other developed countries to be effective and safe shouldn’t have to jump redundant hurdles to get to U.S. markets. Congress can immediately address the massive spikes in prescription drug prices by passing this legislation.” You can find the text of the Accelerating New Pharmaceutical Competition Act HERE. You can find a summary of the bill’s provisions below. The Accelerating New Pharmaceutical Competition Act, S. 3466 Allows sponsors of drugs approved in Europe and other developed countries to be able to show safety and efficacy to the FDA without repeating lengthy and costly clinical trials. Requires the FDA to act on these foreign-approved applications within 90 days, or the drug product is presumed to be approved and may come to market. Removes the automatic 30-month stay of market approval for generic drug applications that are the subject of ongoing patent litigation. Rather, the bill would give full authority to the court to determine whether to shorten or lengthen such a stay. Fast tracks the approval of generic drugs in cases where there is a sole source or limited competition by requiring the FDA to act on those applications within 150 calendar days. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-one-small-step-waste-one-giant-leap-wastekind/ One Small Step for Waste, One Giant Leap for Wastekind 2016-10-04 2016 2016-10 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. We all learned, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” in school, but is that what Neil Armstrong really said during his 1969 moon landing? A recent study drew on two National Science Foundation grants, totaling more than $700,000 of taxpayer money, to find out why we may have heard something different than what Armstrong claimed he actually said. Today’s Report details if they succeeded and reveals the intended purpose of the grants, which did not even mention Armstrong. You can find ‘The Waste Report’ HERE or below. *** When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969, he uttered certainly some of the most famous words in human history: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Or did he? Armstrong said that he was misquoted by having an “a” omitted from his statement, claiming it should have been “step for [a] man.”[1] Quite the earth-shattering controversy we have on our hands here. Nope? Not interested? Don’t care? Well, maybe you will care about this: the National Science Foundation helped fund a study which brought together researchers from four major universities[2] to find the missing “a.” To explain the mystery, researchers even sought out subjects with dialectal familiarity to Armstrong – people from Ohio.[3] The study drew on two NSF grants totaling more than $700k.[4] Though the research was just published this month, one of the grants came from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.[5] “Shovel ready” indeed. So, did they solve the mystery? Well, no. In the end, researchers believe that the speed at which one part of a sentence is said, relative to the rest of the sentence, affects identification of words like “a.”[6] Listeners in experiments did not universally miss the “a” and certainly not to the exte… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:04:55Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-us-senate-protect-terminal-patients-access-treatment/ Dr. Rand Paul to US Senate: Protect Terminal Patients’ Access to Treatment 2016-09-27 2016 2016-09 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 and physician Rand Paul called for the passage of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) S. 2912, the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act, to prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from interfering with “Right to Try” laws that 31 states have adopted. Right to Try allows patients suffering from a terminal illness to use treatments, under a doctor’s supervision, that have not yet received the FDA’s final approval. “As a physician, I believe that treatment is decided best between a doctor and a patient and not through a slow-moving bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., especially when every moment matters in facing a terminal illness,” said Dr. Paul. “As we work on streamlining the FDA’s approval process, I urge my colleagues to pass Senator Johnson’s common-sense bill that respects states’ actions on expanding treatment access.” “Many of us have felt that sense of desperation — of urgency — when we learn that someone we love is fighting for their life,” said Sen. Johnson. “In 2014, I met with a brave Wisconsin woman, Trickett Wendler, who was fighting ALS. Trickett passed away last year, but her spirit and her fight are among the reasons I am passionate about this issue — because I know that today, and every day, millions of Americans are fighting similar life-and-death battles to save themselves and their loved ones. For Trickett, and for countless others facing terminal illnesses, now is the time to give more patients a chance to save their lives — to give them hope. I’m thankful to Senator Paul for his support and hope my colleagues in the Senate will join with their support for this important, bipartisan bill.” Dr. Paul cosponsored S. 2912 and spoke at a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing examining the legislation last Thursday. Senator Johnson serves as chairman of the committee. Below, you can find video of Dr. Paul’s remarks and background information on the bill. CLICK HERE TO WATCH DR. PAUL AT THURSDAY’S HSGAC HEARING B… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-aloha-waste/ Aloha to Waste 2016-09-26 2016 2016-09 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s Report, Dr. Paul highlights nearly $10 million in taxpayer funds that the City of Honolulu wasted to beat a “timeliness” deadline and stay eligible for more Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. After searching for a project, the City settled on a grant proposal to purchase the Hibiscus Hill Apartments property, which wasn’t up for sale at the time and eventually cost taxpayers about $1.9 million above the appraised value. The Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee has established an email address, Report_Waste@HAGAC.Senate.gov, where federal employees can report wasteful end-of-year spending. More information can be found HERE. You can find ‘The Waste Report’ HERE or below. *** According to the Inspector General (IG) for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City and County of Honolulu (City) wasted nearly $10 million of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money for no other reason than to just spend federal money fast… so they could remain eligible to receive more federal funds.[1] The CDBG program is a grant for local governments to help develop affordable housing and economic opportunities primarily for low- and middle-income persons. While grant money can be rolled into the next fiscal year, local governments are not allowed to just sit on this money. By the end of a grant year, available funds cannot exceed 150% of the current year grant award – the timeliness test. If a community breaks this timeliness test two years in a row, they may lose CDBG funding for the next year.[2] According to the IG, Honolulu’s bureaucratic structure led it to perennially fail the timeliness test every other year. However, in 2013, the City was in risk of breaching the two-year rule and possibly losing CDBG money – until it cooked up a pla… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-welcomes-kentucky-honor-flight-washington-dc/ Dr. Rand Paul Welcomes Kentucky Honor Flight to Washington, DC 2016-09-22 2016 2016-09 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 yesterday welcomed veterans from Kentucky traveling on their Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. “Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who fought for our freedoms. I have always stood with Kentucky’s veterans and will continue to fight for them in the U.S. Senate. It is a special experience to visit with them as they see their memorials on a day that honors their service and commitment,” said Dr. Paul. Honor Flight Bluegrass provided a free trip to our nation’s capital for 64 Kentucky veterans, as well as veterans from Indiana and Tennessee. The veterans toured multiple memorials, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-us-senate-votes-blocking-saudi-arabia-arms-sale/ US Senate Votes on Blocking Saudi Arabia Arms Sale 2016-09-21 2016 2016-09 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – By invoking the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) forced a vote today in the U.S. Senate on blocking the $1.15 billion U.S. sale of 153 Abrams tanks and associated major defense articles to Saudi Arabia. Twenty-seven senators voted in support of halting the sale, while seventy-one senators voted to continue providing support to Saudi Arabia. “Today, a growing coalition of legislators refused to sit idly by while the President inserts America into another war and an escalating arms race in an unstable region without congressional authorization or debate,” said Sen. Paul. “As violent jihadists attack the West, the Saudis continue to fund madrassas that preach hatred and violence against the West. The Founders did not entrust the power to initiate war to the legislature lightly. Today does not mark an end, but an important next step in reclaiming Congress’ rightful constitutional role in foreign policy.” “Our resolution may not have passed today, but this debate was very important in and of itself. For the first time in recent history, the Senate debated whether continued, unquestioned arms sales to the Saudis serves America’s national interest,” said Sen. Murphy. “We knew going in that this would be an uphill climb, but we sent a clear message today that Saudi Arabia will take to heart if it values our partnership. And we raised awareness among our colleagues about a war inside Yemen that up until this week has been ignored by Congress. U.S. support for their wars cannot be unconditional, especially when civilians are being killed, and terrorist organizations are growing stronger. Congress is watching, and we will not sit on the sidelines.” “Thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded in the U.S.-backed war in Yemen,” said Sen. Franken. “This is a tragedy, and it’s not one that we should continue to support. Our resolution would have stopped a $1.15 billion U.S. arms sale to the Saudis, and while… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-va-medical-center-no-tv-you/ VA Medical Center – No TV for You 2016-09-20 2016 2016-09 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, chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In September 2013, as part of a “use it or lose it” spending rush, the Detroit VA Medical Center spent over $300,000 on televisions and accessories for upgrades to patient rooms. Three years later, the vast majority of the televisions, which turned out to be the wrong model, sit in storage with expired warranties, still waiting for the project to begin construction. Dr. Paul’s Report reveals the full story. The Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee has established an email address, Report_Waste@HAGAC.Senate.gov, where federal employees can report wasteful end-of-year spending. More information can be found HERE. You can find “The Waste Report” HERE or below. *** Waste Report readers will remember an edition from earlier this year, “Veterans Health Administration: It’s Not About Logistics,” where we reported on the VA leaving urology equipment unused for months. Because the equipment was leased, the VA made over $200k in payments for the equipment while it sat in storage. Unfortunately, it seems the VA has outdone that waste – this time spending over $300k on TVs that have been sitting in storage for nearly three years.[1] The VA Inspector General reports that, in 2013, the Detroit VA Medical Center wanted to upgrade TVs in patient rooms. Probably not a bad idea and certainly a benefit to our veterans in a difficult time. Unfortunately, the project included upgrading the whole TV system, which required some amount of construction. Rather than waiting for construction to begin (or even be scheduled), the VA saw fit in September 2013 to purchase 300 TVs and accessories immediately at a cost of $311k.[2] Since the facility was not ready for the TVs, they went to storage,[3] where they have sat for nearly three years. The IG’s report even states that “as of June 21, 20… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-warner-applaud-house-action-cost-cutters-legislation/ Sens. Paul, Warner Applaud House Action on Cost-Cutters Legislation 2016-09-15 2016 2016-09 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mark Warner (D-VA) applauded the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for passing U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann’s (R-TN) H.R. 2532, the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act. The legislation mirrors S. 1378, which Senators Paul and Warner introduced in May 2015 and passed the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a bipartisan vote of 12-5 in May 2016. “I thank Rep. Fleischmann for his leadership in advancing this important legislation in the House, as well as the committee for moving it to the floor,” said Sen. Paul. “Today’s victory is especially timely, with the end of the government’s fiscal year just around the corner. While ‘use it or lose it’ spenders have splurged with taxpayer funds to beat the clock in the past, the full House and Senate can now take a major step toward incentivizing saving and ending business as usual by passing this reform.” “Congress’ appropriations process can sometimes nonsensically encourage federal agencies to spend down the money they have been allocated as the end of the fiscal year approaches, regardless of whether the spending is needed or even wise. We need to discourage this ‘use it or lose it’ mentality, and instead incentivize federal agencies to be better stewards of taxpayers’ dollars by spending thoughtfully or returning unused funds to the Treasury at the end of the year,” said Sen. Warner. “I applaud the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for following its Senate counterpart to approve this money-saving legislation, and hope we can move soon to pass this commonsense approach to government efficiency and federal spending into law.” Federal law allows an agency’s Inspector General to pay bonuses up to $10,000 of savings realized when a federal employee identifies waste, fraud, or mismanagement of funds. The Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act would expand these categories to include surplus or unneeded funds. Additionally, S. 1378 would ensure that 90% of the saving… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-us-senate-passes-sen-rand-pauls-amendment-block-lake-cumberland-user-fees/ U.S. Senate Passes Sen. Rand Paul’s Amendment to Block Lake Cumberland User Fees 2016-09-15 2016 2016-09 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’s amendment to S. 2848, the Water Resources Development Act, to protect Kentuckians that rely on Lake Cumberland as a water source from paying user fees passed the U.S. Senate. S. 2848 went on to pass by a vote of 95 to 3. For two years after becoming law, Dr. Paul’s amendment would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from charging eleven cities and businesses a one-time user fee, as well as an annual operation and maintenance fee, to access the water in Lake Cumberland. Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a water reallocation study that would determine the fees. “Taking action on behalf of Kentuckians is one of my most important responsibilities in the Senate, so I am pleased that these actions have yielded a positive result for Lake Cumberland’s surrounding communities that would help protect families from paying higher water bills and prevent government from further hindering our employers’ competitiveness,” said Dr. Paul. “I know how important this issue is for the affected communities, so I will continue working in Congress and with local officials to shield them from these charges.” “I would like to thank Senator Paul and his staff for working with Somerset and our region to pass legislation addressing our concerns,” said Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler. Background information on the amendment is available below. Click HERE to read the text. Amendment No. 5068 This amendment blocks the Army Corps of Engineers from charging a fee for surplus water stored in Lake Cumberland. The Corps is in the process of studying Lake Cumberland/Wolf Creek Dam to determine how much cities and industries will have to begin paying the Corps for using water from Lake Cumberland and for operation and maintenance of the reservoir. Until now, these cities and industries have not had to pay any such user fee. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-block-user-fees-lake-cumberland-area/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to Block User Fees on Lake Cumberland Area 2016-09-12 2016 2016-09 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 introduced an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (S. 2848) on behalf of Kentuckians that rely on Lake Cumberland as a water source. Dr. Paul’s amendment would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from charging eleven cities and businesses a one-time user fee, as well as annual operation and maintenance fees, to access the water in Lake Cumberland after it completes a water reallocation study. “After hearing about the water fee issue facing Lake Cumberland’s surrounding counties, I reached out to local officials in those communities and promised to work with them to find a solution to this problem,” said Dr. Paul. “My amendment would ensure that Lake Cumberland’s surrounding communities and businesses would not be overwhelmed with substantial fees from the Army Corps of Engineers. I am hopeful this amendment will pass to help prevent the federal government from placing additional financial burdens on hardworking Kentuckians in this uncertain economic climate.” Dr. Paul’s amendment would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from charging the one-time fee and annual fee for ten years after the amendment becomes law. Legislation to block the reallocation study for one year passed the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee in April but has not yet been approved by the entire House. Background information on the amendment is available below. Click HERE to read the text. Amendment No. 5025 This amendment blocks the Army Corps of Engineers from charging a fee for water storage in, water supply from, or operation and maintenance costs for Wolf Creek Dam in Lake Cumberland. The Corps is in the process of studying Lake Cumberland/Wolf Creek Dam to determine how much cities and industries will have to begin paying the Corps for using water from and for operation and maintenance of the dam in Lake Cumberland, an intrastate Corps-controlled reservoir. Until now, these cities and industries have not had to pay any such user fee. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-paul-invites-federal-employees-report-use-it-or-lose-it-waste/ Dr. Paul Invites Federal Employees to Report “Use It or Lose It” Waste 2016-09-09 2016 2016-09 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) invited federal employees to contact his Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee if they see “use it or lose it” spending sprees as the federal government concludes its fiscal year that cause waste, mismanagement, or other abuses of taxpayer funds. “Use it or lose it” spending has become notorious and widespread as agencies use up their existing budget authority to try to justify higher funding levels. The fiscal year ends September 30. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that as the fiscal year expires, money even shifts time zones to gain extra hours for last-minute spending.[1] “In a time of ever-expanding government, ‘use it or lose it’ waste provides us with some of the most outrageous examples of how out of control spending has become,” said Dr. Paul. “Hearing from those witnessing this abuse of taxpayer funds firsthand will help us more specifically target the problem and generate pressure to reform the budget process.” Current law allows an agency’s Inspector General to pay bonuses up to $10,000 of savings realized when a federal employee identifies waste, fraud, or mismanagement of funds. Dr. Paul is working to expand these categories to cover unneeded or surplus funds through his Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act, S. 1378, which passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs by a bipartisan vote of 12-5 in May. Federal employees can contact Dr. Paul’s Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee at Report_Waste@HSGAC.Senate.Gov. All emails will be considered confidential, and employees can remain anonymous. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-murphy-franken-and-lee-introduce-joint-resolution-block-military-equipment-sale-saudi/ Sens. Paul, Murphy, Franken, and Lee Introduce Joint Resolution to Block Military Equipment Sale to Saudi Arabia 2016-09-08 2016 2016-09 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a joint resolution of disapproval to block the U.S. sale of Abrams tanks and associated major defense articles to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon announced the proposed sale, totaling $1.15 billion, in August. “Selling $1.15 billion in tanks, guns, ammunition, and more to a country with a poor human rights record embroiled in a bitter war is a recipe for disaster and an escalation of an ongoing arms race in the region,” said Sen. Paul. “Saudi Arabia is an important partner, but their war in Yemen, funded by the U.S., has become a disaster that is making our country less safe every day,” said Sen. Murphy. “Thousands of civilians are being killed, and terrorist groups inside the country, like al Qaeda and ISIS, are getting stronger. Until the Saudis conduct changes, the U.S. should put a pause on further arms sales.” “The Obama Administration has recently offered over a billion dollars in weaponry to Saudi Arabia, and I think it’s in America’s best interest to call a timeout on this sale,” said Sen. Franken. “In Yemen, a Saudi coalition of fighters is unjustly killing civilians while at the same time not doing enough to address terrorism. This is dangerous for the Middle East, for our other allies, and for our nation, which is why I’m helping to introduce this bipartisan resolution.” “Unbeknownst to many Americans, their military has been engaged in the civil war in Yemen throughout this year with very little oversight or authorization from their representatives in Congress,” said Sen. Lee. “I am cosponsoring this resolution because I believe it is our responsibility as stewards of our constituents’ interests to have a public discussion and debate on the merits – or lack thereof – of our involvement in this conflict and the broader Middle East. This presents Congress with an opportunity to prove we can do our jobs in a bipartisan manner and put the safety and security of the… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:01:54Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-small-business-administrations-disastrous-loans/ Small Business Administration’s Disastrous Loans 2016-08-30 2016 2016-08 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. This week’s Report resembles one you could have seen during the 2007 mortgage crisis, as Dr. Paul highlights millions in lost taxpayer funds in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster assistance loan program. According to the SBA’s own Inspector General, SBA provided loans to applicants lacking satisfactory credit, or, in some cases, even a proven ability to repay the money. Often, workers ignored SBA’s own guidelines, or exploited loopholes, to issue these loans. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** Subprime, liar loans, no-doc, income unverified… these sound like terms used to describe the 2007 mortgage crisis. Unfortunately, they can also be used to describe the Small Business Administration’s disaster assistance loans following Hurricane Sandy, which resulted in as much as $4.3 million of lost taxpayer money.[1] In most instances, these loans were made either because SBA guidelines were ignored, or loopholes were exploited.[2] Part of federal disaster relief includes the availability of low-interest loans to persons in the affected area via the Small Business Administration (SBA), even though these loans are not necessarily for business purposes.[3] According to the SBA’s Inspector General, approximately 500 of SBA’s Sandy loans went into default within 18 months of issuance, though even that number is misleading, as two thirds of these loan recipients made fewer than three payments, and more than half of those made no payment at all.[4] While these defaults represent just 2.6 percent of all SBA Sandy loans, they tell a troubling story of lax lending practices eerily similar to the 2007 subprime crisis, where persons that never should have gotten loans did. However, unlike with private lenders, in this case loans were made using taxpayer dollars. The IG estimates that loan approvals totaled nea… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:00:38Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-official-waste/ Official Waste 2016-08-23 2016 2016-08 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In this special, two-page edition, Dr. Paul examines federal employees doing union work on taxpayers’ dime, costing Americans hundreds of millions of dollars when member dues should be more than enough to cover representation costs. Many of these employees receive full salary and benefits despite not performing a government function. Though some argue such work is for the “public good,” often the final result runs contrary to taxpayers’ best interests and further enlarges an already bloated government. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** Are you a federal employee and in a union? Well, if you answered “NO,” you might be surprised to find out you are paying for union representation for federal employees. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), “Official time, broadly defined, is paid time off from assigned Government duties to represent a union or its bargaining unit employees.”[1] That is right. Federal employees get paid by the taxpayers to do union work, and, according to OPM, Official Time (OT) cost taxpayers $157.2 million in salary and 3.4 million hours not performing governmental duties in 2012.[2] However, a 2014 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) questioned OPM’s methodology in calculating OT costs. GAO indicated that, based on a sample of 10 agencies, OPM had under calculated the cost by 9 percent on average,[3] which, if true across the board, would put the total figure closer to $171.3 million. Even worse, the GAO stated, “OPM said reporting on official time is not a priority at this time…”[4] Maybe that’s why OPM’s FY 2012 report on OT is the most recent available. GAO’s 2014 report notes that 386 employees were on OT full-time (2/3rds were attached to the VA).[5] Americans for Limited Government used FOIA requests to estimate that number at 490 employees this yea… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:00:38Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-weight-waste/ The Weight of Waste 2016-08-16 2016 2016-08 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s report, Dr. Paul takes a look at taxpayers funding a documentary on the International Prototype Kilogram. This $500,000 grant opportunity from the Department of Commerce will focus on efforts to replace “Big K” with a natural constant. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** You may recall a Waste Report from last year called “Measuring Waste”, highlighting a $188,000 NSF grant to produce a book on the history of measurement and finally answering the age-old question of why Americans do not like the metric system. If you have not made the trip to Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy, do not worry. Netflix will soon be able to satisfy your metric system cravings, thanks to the Department of Commerce spending $500,000 to make a documentary on the Kilogram.[1] This is not just any kilogram, but THE granddaddy of all kilos: Big K, the International Prototype Kilogram. You know, Big K, the metal cylinder stored in a vault in Paris that serves as “the standard for measuring mass in almost every country on Earth.”[2] That is right!! Taxpayers are funding a movie about a metal cylinder. Well, sort of. The movie is actually about the quest to replace Big K with a natural constant. What is a natural constant? Well, take a meter, for example, which used to be defined by the distance between two marks on an iron bar kept with Big K in Paris. In 1984, a meter was redefined “as the distance light travels, in a vacuum,” in 1/299,792,458 of a second, a natural constant.[3] Certainly, Waste Report readers remember when that change happened, right? Turns out Big K is the last standard of measurement in the vault. Cracking the nut of how to redefine mass by a standard constant has proven challenging for the international community of measurement scientists, which is why the movie will be titled The Last Artifact. However… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:00:38Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-trapped-waste/ Trapped by Waste 2016-08-08 2016 2016-08 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s report, Dr. Paul turns the spotlight on nearly $600,000 of taxpayer money going to offset some of the Wolf Trap Foundation’s operation and production costs. While Wolf Trap is supposed to be structured to protect taxpayers, the funds are flowing from an earmark many members of Congress may not realize exists – an earmark even the National Park Service has tried to eliminate. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** Outside the DC area, few people have probably even heard of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, let alone taken in a concert there. However, for those inside the Beltway (metaphorically speaking[1]), Wolf Trap is a well-known venue for a variety of summer concerts. Unfortunately, whether you have heard of it or not, Wolf Trap is trapping nearly $600,000 of taxpayer money for wasteful, DC-insider hypocrisy. On its surface, Wolf Trap is structured to protect taxpayers. As a kind of public-private partnership, the National Park Service maintains the park (which includes hiking trails and the like), while the non-profit Wolf Trap Foundation is “responsible for artistic programming, public relations, marketing, box office functions, and providing stagehands and certain other employees who are directly related to the presentation of performing arts.”[2] It seems like a reasonable and clear division between the national park and its use as a venue for stage entertainment. However, the line seems to have recently been blurred, as the Park Service is handing over $594,000 to the Foundation to offset some of the cost of operations and production.[3] Do not blame the Park Service! Their hands are tied. This money comes from a $2.2 million earmark for the National Capital Area Performing Arts program, which funds (or subsidizes) a variety of concerts and entertainment around Washington. In … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:00:38Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-serving-waste-side-poor-planning/ Serving Up Waste, With a Side of Poor Planning 2016-08-01 2016 2016-08 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s report, Dr. Paul highlights $6 million in taxpayer funds used to renovate Fort Belvoir’s “Eagle’s Nest” Dining Facility. The project was completed in November 2015, only for the facility to be permanently closed by July 1, 2016. In addition to facing stiff competition from other local dining choices, it became clear during the renovation that the Army would likely close the Eagle’s Nest. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** Last November, Fort Belvoir’s “Eagle’s Nest” Dining Facility completed a $6 million renovation, and last month (less than a year later), the facility closed its doors permanently.[1] According to the base newspaper, Belvoir Eagle, the project “included installing new flooring; ceilings; lights; bathrooms and serving lines; and replacing all of the furniture,” with a representative of the facility even quoted as saying, “[w]e really are a premier dining facility, now.”[2] Seven months later, Fort Belvoir’s website read, “[e]ffective July 1, 2016 the Fort Belvoir Dining Facility will be officially, permanently closed.”[3] The shocking part is not that the Army is closing the facility after the renovation, but that the renovation was done in the first place. According to the Army, the facility only had less than a 5 percent utilization rate.[4] Of course, Fort Belvoir is just south of Alexandria, VA, next to George Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon. With Starbucks, Subway, and Burger King on base, and numerous restaurants and grocery stores just a short drive in either direction on Route 1 (which bisects the base), it is not surprising that even a remodeled base dining facility would have trouble competing. To understand why the Eagle’s Nest renovation was such a boondoggle, you first need to understand how the Army feeds personnel on the home front. In addition to their regular pay,… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T21:00:38Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-panning-waste/ Panning In On Waste 2016-07-25 2016 2016-07 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s report, Dr. Paul uncovers the Department of State offering a grant of $60,000 in taxpayer funds to train television camera operators for Estonia’s ETV+ channel. Since ETV+ is Estonian Public Broadcasting’s third television channel, the American people would be right to ask how all the existing television camera expertise disappeared – and why they have to pay to replace it. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** From slowly panning in when things get serious, to the fast-paced pursuit of a running back breaking away, television cameras and their operators play an integral and often unsung role in our TV viewing experience. But operating a TV camera is not easy; it is a technical job that requires advanced training. Thanks to the U.S. Department of State (State), you are paying for some of that special training… in Estonia. State is currently advertising a $60,000 grant opportunity to train camera operators for ETV+, Estonian Public Broadcasting’s (ERR) Russian-speaking channel. Interested parties are invited to submit proposals, which should include sending an American team of trainers, including a Russian-English translator, to Estonia to conduct training there. Separately, in July or August, “when [the] ETV+ production team is on leave,” the grant recipient is expected to bring five camera operators to the U.S. for a 10-day training session in a “learning-studio.”[1] Since it is a public broadcasting channel, ETV+ is primarily funded through Estonia’s Ministry of Culture, receiving about €1.8 million in startup cash last year[2] and having a €2.53 million budget for 2015 – in which it planned to air just two hours of original programming daily.[3] ETV+, by the way, is ERR’s third TV channel, so one might expect the technical expertise for camera operation to already exist within the ERR family.[4] … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-census-finalize-correct-counting-kentucky-military/ Sen. Rand Paul to Census: Finalize Correct Counting for Kentucky Military 2016-07-21 2016 2016-07 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 has urged the U.S. Census Bureau to finalize a proposed rule change for the 2020 census that would count all deployed service members at the base or port in which they resided prior to deployment instead of by their home of record, an address they gave when they enlisted. The Bureau’s previous method resulted in 2010 census data that improperly represented areas including Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “As a result of using inaccurate and missing records for the tabulation of deployed service members, the surrounding military communities, which support the families of those service members, were calculated to have a lower population than what should be attributed to the community,” Dr. Paul wrote in a letter to U.S. Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson. “By counting deployed service members according to where they actually live, the Bureau will receive more accurate reports of population and ensure communities have the needed resources to support these soldiers and their families,” said Dr. Paul. Since hearing from his constituents about the inaccurate reporting, Dr. Paul has led the effort to enact change, including contacting the Bureau directly and introducing legislation, the “Service Members and Communities Count Act,” in multiple sessions of Congress to ensure all deployed service members are correctly reported. The Census Bureau is taking comments on the proposed change through August 1. Dr. Paul encourages the public to submit their comments in support of the revised counting method HERE. You can find the full text of the letter HERE or below. *** Dear Director Thompson: I write in regards to the Census Bureau’s Proposed Criteria and Request for Comment on the 2020 Decennial Census Residence Rule and Residence Situations (Docket No: 160526465-6465-01) published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2016, to propose certain changes to the residence criteria used to determine where people are counted during each decennial census. I would like to offer support for… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-fox-isolated-island-and-waste/ A Fox, An Isolated Island, and Waste 2016-07-18 2016 2016-07 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,’ an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In today’s report, Dr. Paul shines a light on the Department of Defense offering a grant opportunity of nearly $100,000 to monitor the health of the Arctic Fox population on the island of Shemya. The fox is not native to the island, not endangered, and not proven to be successful at achieving the grant’s stated rationale of preventing aircraft-bird collisions. In fact, the Air Force considers foxes themselves to be hazards. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** Near the tail end of the Aleutian Islands (farther west than Hawaii), sits Shemya, a two-by-four-mile island that is home to Eareckson Air Station (EAS) and nearly $100,000 of government waste. The Department of Defense (DOD) recently published a $99,000 grant opportunity to monitor the population of the Arctic Fox on Shemya.[1] The stated rationale for this project is that the foxes appear to be in declining health, and their presence is perceived to reduce the Bird/Aircraft Strike Hazard. It all seems reasonable until you look a little deeper. Just 200 miles from Russia in the middle of the North Pacific, EAS was an important air strip during WWII and the Cold War, housing both bomber and fighter groups. However, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, that utility diminished quickly, and EAS was basically closed in 1995. Today, the once-vibrant airfield handles about three flights a week.[2] While avoiding aircraft-bird collisions is certainly an important and worthwhile goal, the use of the Arctic Fox in this endeavor is not proven to be successful. You see, though the fox will hunt sea birds, it much prefers small animals such as rodents, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In addition, according to the Air Force’s own Bird/Wildlife Strike Hazard (BASH) Management Techniques, foxes also present a hazard, and it recommends using “pyrotechnics to f… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-statement-disclosure-secured-911-families/ Sen. Rand Paul Statement on Disclosure Secured for 9/11 Families 2016-07-15 2016 2016-07 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 the following statement today in response to the declassification and release of the redacted 28 pages from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001. “Over a year ago, I and a bipartisan group of my colleagues stood with family members of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to demand President Obama release the redacted 28 pages from the 9/11 Congressional Joint Inquiry. For nearly 14 years, these families have endured one roadblock after another to obtain these details, and I am pleased the administration finally responded to their concerns and honored previous promises,” said Senator Paul. “Today’s disclosure is both momentous and long overdue.” On June 1, 2015, as part of his efforts to obtain the documents’ release, Senator Rand Paul introduced S. 1471, the Transparency for the Families of 9/11 Victims and Survivors Act, to require President Obama to declassify the redacted 28 pages and make them available to the public. Click HERE to read the newly released documents. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senator-paul-secures-expansion-access-opioid-addiction-treatment/ Senator Paul Secures Expansion of Access to Opioid-Addiction Treatment 2016-07-13 2016 2016-07 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator and physician Rand Paul praised Senate passage today of the conference report on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), legislation that includes several provisions Dr. Paul has championed to expand access to treatment for those battling opioid addiction. The Senate approved CARA by a vote of 92-2, after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 407-5 to pass the legislation on Friday. “In a time of deep partisan division, I applaud the U.S. Senate for coming together to do the right thing by ensuring Kentucky families and other Americans devastated by opioid addiction receive the treatment they need to heal,” said Dr. Paul. “As the lead Republican sponsor of the TREAT Act, I have worked with Senator Markey and a bipartisan coalition to speak up for those denied help by arbitrary federal interference. Today’s victory is an encouraging sign of what we can accomplish when we decide to get Washington out of the American people’s way. I urge the President to quickly sign the bill into law.” Today’s passage marks the second major step in a week toward unshackling doctors to help more patients break free of their opioid addiction. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would extend the cap on the number of patients to whom a doctor can prescribe buprenorphine, a key component in Suboxone, from the current 100-patient barrier to 275 patients. Dr. Paul had earlier joined a bipartisan group of senators in asking HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell to raise the cap to the 500-patient level contained in the TREAT Act after learning HHS was planning to extend the cap to only 200 patients. Now, the CARA conference report would further implement the principles contained in TREAT by expanding the number of providers who can administer treatment, allowing HHS Secretary Burwell to authorize in-office treatment that excludes patients from the cap, and giving states greater flexibility in adjusting their own patient caps. Below is a summary of TREAT Act pro… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-urges-senate-expand-access-opioid-addiction-treatment/ Dr. Rand Paul Urges Senate to Expand Access to Opioid-Addiction Treatment 2016-07-12 2016 2016-07 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 and physician Rand Paul called on the U.S. Senate to help more Kentuckians and other Americans struggling with opioid addiction find healing by passing the conference report on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved CARA by a wide bipartisan majority of 407-5, with the legislation containing several proposals that Dr. Paul has long been fighting for as lead Republican sponsor of the TREAT Act. “Counterproductive rules decreed by Washington, D.C. prevent far too many of those battling opioid addiction from obtaining proper treatment,” said Dr. Paul. “Kentuckians have been especially hit hard by this epidemic, and I’m pleased to see Congress finally take many of the common-sense steps Senator Markey and I have been advocating for through the TREAT Act to provide help to those fighting for their lives. I urge the Senate to follow the House’s lead by passing CARA right away.” “I thank Senator Paul for his partnership in this effort,” said Senator Markey, “and I thank Senators Murray and Alexander, and Reps. Pallone and Upton who helped to get these provisions included in the final legislation. I will continue to work to pass legislation that would make nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other trained medical professionals a permanent part of the opioid treatment workforce.” Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would extend the cap on the number of patients to whom a doctor can prescribe buprenorphine, a key component in Suboxone, from the current 100-patient barrier to 275 patients. Dr. Paul had earlier joined a bipartisan group of senators in asking HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell to raise the cap to the 500-patient level contained in the TREAT Act after learning HHS was planning to extend the cap to only 200 patients. Now, the CARA conference report would further implement the principles contained in TREAT by expanding the number of providers who can administer… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-its-bird-its-plane-no-its-waste/ It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… NO, It’s Waste! 2016-07-12 2016 2016-07 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 of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul highlights the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), a State Department agency, advertising a grant of $1.25 million in taxpayer funds to cover two seasons of a Pakistani superhero cartoon. This won’t be your traditional Saturday morning show, however. Instead, the program, which will feature a character “who empowers youth in a way that aligns with INL’s mission,” will be aimed at ages 14 to 25. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. *** If there is anything superheroes are known for, it is fighting crime. But could a superhero cartoon be used as a tool to deter terrorists in the real world? Well, Uncle Sam seems to think so and is spending taxpayer money on such an effort… in Pakistan.[1] That is right!! The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), which is part of the Department of State, is currently advertising a $1.25 million grant opportunity to produce a superhero cartoon in Pakistan. In total, INL is asking for 292 minutes of animation to be created over two 13-episode seasons, which comes out to $4,280 a minute from American taxpayers. It sounds like our government is again playing the villain in the story of fiscal responsibility. According to the solicitation, “the goal of the animated TV series is to inform, educate, and positively influence Pakistani youth (ages 14-25) through the creation of a strong role model who empowers youth in a way that aligns with INL’s mission.” Of course, 14- to 25-year-olds are probably less taken in by cartoon superheroes than younger viewers. Nonetheless, INL specifically is seeking to promote a drug-free lifestyle, gender equality, a fair criminal justice system, anti-corruption, and religious tolerance, among other things. This may be a tall order,… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-hhs-rule-change-victory-first-step/ Dr. Rand Paul: HHS Rule-Change Victory a “First Step” 2016-07-06 2016 2016-07 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 and physician Rand Paul applauded the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to implement changes called for by Dr. Paul and a bipartisan Senate coalition to increase access to much-needed treatment for those battling an opioid addiction. The Administration announced today that HHS will raise the number of patients to whom a doctor can prescribe buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone, from the current 100-patient barrier to 275 patients. “As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how well-intended but misguided federal interference restrains doctors from providing patients with the help they need. The current patient cap is keeping too many Kentuckians from treatment that could free them from addiction. Today’s rule change is an important first step to unshackling and better empowering physicians to confront the growing epidemic of opioid addiction. Congress should pass the bipartisan TREAT Act to further increase the cap and expand the number of providers who can prescribe these important treatments,” said Dr. Paul. “This final regulation is a result of Sen. Paul’s common-sense proposal that passed the Senate Health Committee this spring and should be a great help to Kentuckians and Tennesseans alike working hard to beat addiction and lead healthier lives. I was glad to support Sen. Paul’s proposal in committee—and I look forward to soon getting a result on bicameral legislation to provide substantial support to states and local communities on the front lines of America’s opioid abuse epidemic,” Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said. Dr. Paul is the lead Republican sponsor of the TREAT Act, which, along with increasing the patient cap and number of providers, would give states greater flexibility to adjust their state patient caps and require HHS and the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress about the legislation’s effects on treatment and services. Dr. Paul and Senator Edward Markey originally introduced the TREA… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:57:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-secures-vital-change-kentucky-soldiers-upcoming-census/ Sen. Rand Paul Secures Vital Change for Kentucky Soldiers in Upcoming Census 2016-06-30 2016 2016-06 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Census Bureau responded to Senator Rand Paul’s efforts to secure a vital reform in the 2020 census by changing its rules to count all deployed service members at the residence prior to their deployment. Previously, the census instead counted soldiers temporarily deployed for overseas contingency operations by their home of record, an address they gave when they enlisted. “I applaud the Census Bureau for adopting my proposal to ensure our service members are properly counted in the census. They listened to the people of Kentucky, who experienced the consequences of the census’ inaccurate reporting directly in 2010 and took action,” said Sen. Paul. “In addition to creating one consistent and logical method for counting deployed service members, today’s change will better enable communities to support our soldiers and their families. This proves what can happen when concerned citizens get involved, and I urge Kentuckians to join me in contacting the Census Bureau in support of this revision before the final comment period expires at the end of July.” Sen. Paul responded to his constituents’ concerns about the Census Bureau’s reporting by contacting the Bureau and introducing the “Service Members and Communities Count Act” in 2015. Today’s change essentially incorporates Sen. Paul’s legislation into the Census Bureau’s rules. While the region around Fort Campbell, Kentucky, had grown greatly since the 2000 census, the 2010 census did not accurately reflect this growth due to the Bureau’s then-current policy on counting deployed service members. Kelli Pendleton, President of Kentucky’s Christian County Chamber of Commerce, commented on the importance of the change, noting, “When a census count happens during a division deployment, it has a large impact on our local economy and regional data.” She also thanked Sen. Paul for his leadership on the issue, saying, “Our Chamber has been advocating for this issue for many years, and we appreciate Senator Paul’s support in helping to mak… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-ridiculousness-12-billion-dollars-spent-collecting-taxes/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights the Ridiculousness of $12 Billion Dollars Spent On Collecting Taxes 2016-06-28 2016 2016-06 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition, Sen. Paul highlights the ridiculously high cost of collecting annual taxes. The government spends over $12 billion dollars and employs almost 90,000 workers just to administer and collect taxes. To put that in perspective, over 1.5 million average American taxpayers pay taxes just to pay the cost of running our tax system. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Most people hate taxes, not just paying them, but the arduous, painful process of filing a tax return. No one would argue that the United States’ tax code is simple and easy. But did you know, the government spends over $12 billion dollars and employs almost 90,000 workers just to administer and collect taxes?[1] To put that in prospective, over 1.5 million average American taxpayers pay taxes just to pay the cost of running our tax system.[2] In fact, we spend $2 billion more on the Internal Revenue Service, to tax money out of the economy, than we do on the Department of Commerce to theoretically promote the economy. So, why does our tax system require all this? Well, let’s start with a little history. Our current tax system was established 103 years ago with the passage of the 16th Amendment. The first federal income tax under that system had one form that was four pages long: one for income, one for deductions (of which there were six), and one to calculate your tax liability (there were seven brackets with a top marginal rate of 7%). Oh, and one page of instructions. That was all.[3] Fast forward to today, there are hundreds of forms, worksheets, tables, and schedules. In fact, according to the Tax Foundation, there are over 10 million words in the tax code, and Americans spend 6.1 billion hours a year on their taxes.[4] You suppose they are called schedules because filling them out is going to suck up your day? The major … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-50000000-nih-grant-studying-peoples-fondness-spicy-foods/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $500,000.00 NIH Grant Studying People’s Fondness for Spicy Foods 2016-06-21 2016 2016-06 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition, Sen. Paul uncovers the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spending $500,000.00 to study people’s rejection threshold for spice and bitterness. “Our government is spending funds like drunken sailors, but at least sailors spend their own money. This is taxpayer money that is just being wasted! No matter what the result from these wasteful studies, one thing is clear, they leave a bitter taste in taxpayer’s mouths” Stated Senator Paul. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found below. Since 2011, one researcher at the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) has received approximately half a million dollars to study people’s rejection threshold for spice and bitterness. The study found people seeking sensation like spice, but generally personality has no relation to liking spicy foods. A paper associated with this study explored the correlation between one’s personality and their affinity for spicy foods. Surprisingly, the same paper discovered that “as expected, a strong relationship was found between liking spicy foods and frequency of chili consumption.” Additionally, similar egregious studies have been uncovered by the office of Senator Rand Paul. One such study sought to determine what level of bitterness was objectionable for chocolate milk consumers. The result: People with a preference for dark chocolate are able to tolerate 2.3 times more bitterness than those who prefer milk chocolate. A third, and also separate study explored the bitterness in wine and how one’s wine expertise predicts willingness to try new wines and foods. The combined cost for all of these studies? Taxation from nearly 70 average Americans working for an entire calendar year. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-stands-second-amendment-rights-while-keeping-weapons-away-terrorists/ Dr. Rand Paul Stands Up For Second Amendment Rights, While Keeping Weapons Away From Terrorists 2016-06-20 2016 2016-06 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Dr. Rand Paul voted to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists while still preserving the constitutional rights of all Americans. Paul voted for the Cornyn Amendment, which notifies the FBI if anyone on the terror watch list tries to buy a gun. During the 72 hour waiting period, the FBI can arrest the suspect or present the suspect to a judge with probable cause to prevent the purchase of weapons. When Dr. Paul discovered that the Orlando killer was not on any terror watch list he advocated to change the Cornyn Amendment to ensure that anyone investigated by the FBI would stay on the terror watch list for five years. Dr. Paul’s advocacy for this change led to the modification of the Cornyn Amendment so that the new system could possibly stop an attacker such as the Orlando killer or the Boston bombers. In a prepared statement, Dr. Paul explained his vote: “By all means we should do everything possible to prevent terrorists from buying weapons, but we should never take away any American’s Second Amendment rights without due process. Innocent until proven guilty is the basis of our judicial system. We should not abridge any of our basic rights without due process in a court of law,” Dr. Paul said. To prevent further massacres such as Orlando we must ask some pointed questions of the FBI. “I recently asked the FBI Director, why was this investigation closed? The Orlando killer at least twice threatened violence against co-workers, he knew another suicide bomber, he travelled to Saudi Arabia, and five weeks before the massacre a gun store owner reported him to the FBI. The FBI dropped the ball here. To prevent more tragedies like this from recurring, we need to insist that the FBI does more thorough investigations,” stated Dr. Paul. Dr. Rand Paul will continue to fight to keep America safe from terror, but he will also fight to protect our constitutional rights such as the Second Amendment and advocate for common sense solutions such as more complete FBI investigations. ### No rela… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-nsf-spending-375000-study-importance-federal-research-funding/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers NSF Spending $375,000 to Study Importance of Federal Research Funding 2016-06-14 2016 2016-06 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition, Sen. Paul uncovers the National Science Foundation (NSF) spending $375,000 on a two-year study to determine what effects the availability of federal funding for research has on scientists’ career choices and scientific outcomes. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. It seems kind of circular, getting federal research funding to study the importance of federal research funding. Well that is exactly what the National Science Foundation (NSF) is doing, spending $375,000 on a 2-year study to determine what effects the availability of federal funding for research has on scientists’ career choices and scientific outcomes. One can only imagine what the findings will be… The grant synopsis reads in part: Young life science researchers… may elect to begin their careers by either entering academia, or by joining biotechnology or pharmaceutical firms… career choice is also affected by external constraints such as the availability of, and competition for, [federal] research funding. [1] Though the Waste Report has reported on federal research shenanigans like how to have the perfect first date and the gambling habits of Ugandans (and many more), is it actually budget unpredictability that is putting critical research in jeopardy? Just how volatile is federal funding for research? We decided to look and what we found makes funding this project all the more unnecessary. Looking at federal research funding, adjusted for inflation, since the year 2000 for NSF, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and overall, we found that since 2000, funding has increased 197%, 198% and 176% respectively. Further, we found that on average, funding for scientific research in these areas increased, again in real terms, 7.23 %, 7.3%, and 6.7% per year.[2] But since, “Historically the amount of public research fund… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-rand-paul-mike-lee-dianne-feinstein-urge-support-due-process-guarantee-act/ Sens. Rand Paul, Mike Lee, & Dianne Feinstein Urge Support for Due Process Guarantee Act 2016-06-09 2016 2016-06 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) joined Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on the floor of the Senate to speak in support of the Due Process Guarantee Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA). The transcript and video of the floor speech are available below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Lee: Mr. President, I rise today to discuss and to urge my colleagues to support amendment number 4448, the due process guarantee amendment. This amendment addresses a little known problem that I believe most Americans would be shocked to discover even exists. Under current law, the federal government has proclaimed the power, has arrogated to itself the power to obtain indefinitely without charge or trial U.S. Citizens and lawful permanent residents who are apprehended on American soil. Let that sink in for just a minute. If you’re a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Green card holder and you’re arrested on American soil because you’re suspected of supporting a terrorist group or other enemy of the United States, the federal government has claimed the power to detain you indefinitely without formally charging you or without offering you a trial. I’m not talking about American citizens who travel to foreign lands to take up arms against the United States military and are captured on the battlefield. No, I’m talking here about U.S. Citizens who are apprehended right here in the United States of America. Under current law, even they can be imprisoned for an unspecified, in fact unlimited period of time without ever being charged or being given the benefit – without the benefit of a jury trial to which they are entitled. You don’t need to be a defense attorney to recognize what an outrage this is. Arresting U.S. Citizens on American soil and then detaining them indefinitely without charge or trial is an obvious deviation from the Constitutional right to due process of law. The last time the federal government exercised such power during… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-speaks-out-against-lautenberg-act-and-dangers-new-federal-regulations/ Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Lautenberg Act and the Dangers of New Federal Regulations 2016-06-08 2016 2016-06 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 yesterday, Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks regarding his opposition to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (“TSCA Modernization Act,” H.R. 2576) and the dangers of new, overreaching federal regulations. During the speech, Sen. Paul argued that while some regulations may appear beneficial, in actuality they are unconstitutional and have harmful, long-term consequences. A transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks as prepared for delivery and video of his floor speech are available below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Milton Friedman once said that if we gave the federal government control of the Sahara Desert within five years there would be a shortage of sand. I tend to agree and it worries me anytime a consensus builds to federalize anything. I have spent the past week reading this bill, this sweeping federal takeover of chemical regulations and I am now more worried than I was before I read the bill. Most worrisome, beyond the specifics of the bill, is the creeping infestation of the business community with the idea that the argument is no longer about minimizing regulations but about making regulations regular. Businesses seem to just want uniformity of regulation as opposed to minimization of regulation. A good analogy is that of how business responds to malingerers who fake slip and fall injuries. Some businesses choose to limit expenses by settling for small amounts. Some brave businesses choose to legally defend themselves against all nuisance claims. Federalizing the chemical regulations is settling with the slip and fall malingerer and hoping he or she will keep their extortion at a reasonable level. In the process, though, we will have abandoned principle. We will have given up the state laboratories where economic success and regulatory restraint are aligned. It is no accident that the regulatory restraint occurs in states that host chemical companies and ensures that state legislatures will be w… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-ndaa-restore-congressional-authority-declaring-war/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to NDAA to Restore Congressional Authority on Declaring War 2016-06-06 2016 2016-06 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 introduced an amendment to S.2943, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA), which finds that the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force (AUMF) do not give President Obama the authority to maintain U.S. military force in direct or indirect actions against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and that a new authorization is needed. The full text of the amendment can be found HERE. Earlier last month, Sen. Paul also introduced six amendments to NDAA, which are expected to be considered when the Senate convenes later today. Below is the list of Sen. Paul’s amendments with summaries for background information. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Amendment No. 4072 Known as the Fort Knox Energy Security Act Allows the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to continue producing natural gas at Fort Knox in Kentucky, which ultimately would enable Fort Knox to become the only military installation capable of self-sustainment in the country. Amendment No. 4073 Mandates the Census Bureau count all deployed service members at the base or port in which they resided prior to deployment. Benefits thousands of U.S. service men and women by creating a consistent and logical method for counting service members deployed overseas in the U.S. Census at their residence at their last duty station. This legislation will have no effect on a service member’s tax, residence, or voting status; it will only affect counting for census purposes. Amendment No. 4074 Repeals the Military Selective Service Act and end the military draft in the U.S. Amendment No. 4075 Known as the Service Members Self Defense Act Amend permit members of the armed forces to possess firearms on military installations in accordance with applicable state and local law. 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 wea… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-247-million-usaid-project-aimed-inform-philippines-climate-change/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $24.7 Million USAID Project Aimed to Inform the Philippines on Climate Change 2016-06-06 2016 2016-06 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul uncovers plans for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to invest as much as $24.7 million on a project to help the country of the Philippines adapt to climate change. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Followers of The Waste Report will remember the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) funding for a futuristic climate change video game focused on the impact of Florida communities of sea-level rise. The justification for the game was that high school students, when presented with the catastrophic climate change narrative, were not particularly motivated to act. Well it turns out Uncle Sam wants to act, not in Florida, but in the Philippines. That’s right!!! The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to invest as much as $24.7 million as part of the “Climate Ready” project to help the Philippines adapt to rising sea-levels and extreme weather caused by climate change.[1] Individual awards are limited to $2 million, so we’ll probably see about 12 different projects across the Philippines. So what will these projects look like? Turns out we do not know. USAID’s solicitation is an RFP (Request for Proposals) for cost-plus contracts. RFP’s are used at all levels of government to solicit detailed plans of how to achieve stated objectives and working within established constraints. For example, if your local town wanted to build a park on an abandoned lot, an RFP might give general parameters of what kind of park – recreational or passive – and what features are desired and what are not, etc. Kind of a, “given these parameters, what would you do?” However, where this RFP would normally delineate such parameters, it simply states, “the Contractor’s Performance Work Statement, based on the content of this RFP… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senators-paul-hatch-and-markey-call-hhs-follow-senate-lead-increasing-access-opioid-addiction/ Senators Paul, Hatch, and Markey Call on HHS to Follow Senate Lead in Increasing Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment 2016-06-01 2016 2016-06 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Senators lead bipartisan group of 22 Senators in calling on the Department to raise the cap on prescribing buprenorphine to 500 patients Today, Senators Paul (R-KY), Hatch (R-UT), and Markey (D-MA) led a bipartisan group of 22 Senators in writing to Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to call on HHS to allow for greater access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) in the Department’s proposed rule on the topic published on March 30, 2016. The proposed rule on MAT would increase the highest limit on the number of patients waivered practitioners can treat with buprenorphine from 100 patients per practitioner to 200 patients. However, in recognition of the huge disparity that exists between those who can prescribe opioids for treatment of pain and those who can prescribe treatments for opioid use disorders, and the large gap between those with opioid use disorders and those recieve treatment for their illness, the Senate is advancing legislation that would raise this patient cap to 500 patients. The letter sent by the group of Senators today urges HHS to take into account the bipartisan work done by the Senate on this legislation, S. 1455, the Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment (TREAT) Act, when finalizing their proposed rule. “Heroin addiction is on the rise in Kentucky and throughout the country, and government’s solution of locking up people with addiction is not solving the problem. Getting people the help they need to break the cycle of addition and on a path to recovery is extremely important,” Sen. Paul said. “I’m glad the Department is taking action to expand access to medication assisted treatment under the authority Congress provided through the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000,” said Senator Hatch. “However, if we are going to provide patients with the treatments they need to succeed in their battle against heroin and prescription drug abuse, we must open greater access to medication assisted treatment by setting a more appropriate cap on the … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:54:04Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-14-million-wasteful-epa-early-retirement-buyout-employees/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $1.4 Million Wasteful EPA Early Retirement Buyout for Employees 2016-05-31 2016 2016-05 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 today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul uncovers the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spending nearly $12 million on early retirements buyouts for roughly 500 employees to allegedly modernize their workforce. However, of the 500 vacated positions, 12% were not eliminated and refilled without being changed – costing the taxpayers $1.4 million. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Somewhere along the line you have probably heard of early retirement buyouts, where a company offers employees a sum of cash and an early retirement. Often used as an alternative to layoffs, the idea is to get more senior, and thus more expensive, employees off the payroll and then eliminate or restructure their jobs to be less costly. A good deal all around…that is unless you are a taxpayer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering early buyouts. According to the EPA Inspector General, in the Fiscal Year 2014, the EPA paid out nearly $12 million on early buyouts for roughly 500 employees. However, a sampling done by the Inspector General showed that roughly 12% of the vacated positions were not eliminated and were refilled without being changed.[1] If this is a representative sample of all EPA buyout, the taxpayer would have unnecessarily spent $1.4 million. In authorizing agencies to offer early buyouts, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) expressly says the position being vacated must either be eliminated or modified: (1) having a different job series and/or grade, (2) using the same job series and grade but substantively different duties and responsibilities, (3) having a different full-performance level, or (4) that is no longer supervisory.”[2] That’s not a really high bar, and since the whole point of buyouts is to streamline the workforce, what got missed? Even the EPA agreed with the f… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-paul-refuses-support-rushed-legislation/ Sen. Paul Refuses to Support Rushed Legislation 2016-05-26 2016 2016-05 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Demands Sufficient Time to Read The Bill WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul today stood on the Senate floor and objected to the unanimous consent request passage of H.R. 2576. Senator Rand Paul believes lawmakers should read legislation before voting on it. This legislation today was being unnecessarily rushed without an opportunity for review. “I promised the people of Kentucky that I would read every bill before voting for or against it. I couldn’t in good conscience today support this significant piece of legislation without being given an opportunity to examine it closely” said Senator Paul. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-homeland-security-government-affairs-committee-passes-sen-pauls-bonuses-cost-cutters-act/ Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee Passes Sen. Paul’s Bonuses for Cost Cutters Act 2016-05-25 2016 2016-05 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs passed Sen. Rand Paul’s Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act, a bill with bipartisan support, that encourages federal agencies to return unneeded funds to the taxpayer through bonus incentives. The bill was passed in committee with an affirmative 12-5 vote. Current law allows an agency’s inspector general to pay bonuses up to $10,000 of savings realized when a federal employee identifies waste, fraud or mismanagement of funds. Senator Paul’s legislation would further incentivize ending wasteful government spending by allowing employees to qualify for these bonuses if they identify unneeded or surplus funds. Additionally, this legislation would ensure that 90% of the savings be automatically directed towards deficit reduction. “I am pleased that my legislation has received bipartisan support and is on its way to full passage in the U.S. Senate,” Sen. Paul said. “My bill will incentivize government employees to find, report and eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse throughout our bloated federal government.” Federal employees are on the front lines of federal spending. Rewarding those employees for saving taxpayer money will create a personal incentive to counter the current end-of-year rush to exhaust all available funds. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, “Spending in the last week of the year is 4.9 times higher then the rest-of-the-year weekly average.” The full language of this legislation is available HERE. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-ndaa-requiring-census-bureau-count-all-service-members/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to NDAA Requiring Census Bureau to Count All Service Members 2016-05-25 2016 2016-05 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper S. Amdt. #4073 Service Members and Communities Count Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation would mandate the Census Bureau to count all deployed service members at the base or port in which they resided prior to deployment. In tabulating the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau counted service members deployed for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, at their home of record – an address given at the time of enlistment. Unfortunately, such a method is not sufficient and disenfranchises many of our service members. In reports following the 2010 Census, the bureau stated, “only 59 percent of the 2010 Department of Defense records contained a home of record.” The use of home of record, provides an inaccurate accounting of populations residing in communities surrounding U.S. military bases. Amendment No. 4073 benefits thousands of U.S. service men and women by creating a consistent and logical method for counting service members deployed overseas in the U.S. Census at their residence at their last duty station. “I believe that every deployed service member has a right to be counted by their government when a census is conducted,” Sen. Paul said. “The passage of this amendment will ensures that those who have given so much for our country will be recognized in the communities they live in.” This legislation will have no effect on a service member’s tax, residence, or voting status; it will only affect counting for census purposes. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-18-billion-wasteful-spending-through-weekly-waste-reports/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights $1.8 Billion in Wasteful Spending Through Weekly Waste Reports 2016-05-24 2016 2016-05 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 this week highlights 52 weeks of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. Over the last year alone, the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) under Sen. Paul’s leadership has uncovered over $1.8 billion in wasteful spending on frivolous projects. This level of spending, which equates to nearly $35 million per week, matches the tax liability of approximately 250,000 average American taxpayers. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE. The most recent edition of ‘The Waste Report’ focused upon the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii. The center, established in 1960, receives millions in federal funding each year to promote diplomacy with Asian and Pacific islands nations. These nations include China and Japan, two of our nation’s two largest foreign creditors already, from which our government has borrowed $3.4 trillion to cover our annual deficit. Other examples of wasteful government spending uncovered through ‘The Waste Report’ include $8 million spent by the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase solar panels that were never used and $28 million spent on heavy equipment lost by the Department of Defense in Afghanistan. To put this in perspective, 250,000 is roughly the number of people living in Durham, NC or Irvine, CA and just below the number of Americans living in Louisville, KY. In addition to the $1.8 billion spent on the wasteful projects highlighted in ‘The Waste Report,’ the March 7th edition of the report stressed the long-term fiscal dangers posed by the ever-growing national debt. This year the federal government spent $255 billion for interest on our debt, meaning that every American owes about $800 this year to pay for interest alone. If you consider only those who pay their taxes, this figure rises to $2,700 per taxpayer. Each week, ‘The Waste Report’ will continue to release examples of wasteful government spending to show taxpa… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendment-ndaa-allowing-continuation-natural-gas-production-fort-knox/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to NDAA Allowing Continuation of Natural Gas Production at Fort Knox 2016-05-24 2016 2016-05 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 today introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation would specifically allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to continue producing natural gas at Fort Knox in Kentucky, which ultimately would enable Fort Knox to become the only military installation capable of self-sustainment in the country. For the past 20 years, Fort Knox has become the first military installation to provide their own power, heat, gas, water, and wastewater elimination all from on-post resources. In May 2015, Fort Knox successfully demonstrated their ability to fully operate without outside assistance. This self-sufficiency has resulted in nearly $8 million in annual savings. However, if authority is not given, the investments Fort Knox has made to become self-sustainable will cease and energy costs for the DOD will increase. “Fort Knox is leading the way in cost-effectiveness and ingenuity when it comes to natural gas development and sustainability. While the Department of Interior is usually responsible for the development of federal lands, this amendment would codify an exception for already successfully developed facilities which benefit Fort Knox and the surrounding communities.” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-unanimously-passes-sen-rand-pauls-amendment-designate-interstate-i-169-western-kentucky/ Senate Unanimously Passes Sen. Rand Paul’s Amendment to Designate Interstate I-169 in Western Kentucky to the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill 2016-05-19 2016 2016-05 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Rand Paul’s amendment to H.R. 2577, the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The amendment will designate the southern portion Edward T. Breathitt Parkway as Interstate 169, which as a result will increase economic development and opportunities for thousands of Kentuckians. The Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill itself, with the inclusion of Sen. Paul’s amendment, passed the Senate earlier this afternoon with a vote of 89-8. “Many of our nation’s roads and bridges are in deep need of repairs and replacement. I have always made a point to fight against international infrastructure spending and instead to refocus on our needs here in Kentucky. My amendment will designate the southern portion of Edward T. Breathitt Parkway as Interstate 169, which as a result will increase economic development and opportunities for thousands of Kentuckians,” Sen. Paul said. The amendment has gained support throughout Western Kentucky, including Mayor Carter Hendricks of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. “We are excited that Senator Paul has led the initiative to help achieve interstate designation for the southern section of the Pennyrile Parkway. For many years, our community leadership has advocated for this very project and we look forward to seeing it come to fruition and to reaping the economic benefits of interstate status for our Parkway,” Mayor Carter Hendricks said. Sen. Paul also introduced an amendment to the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill, which would increase funding for highway projects by approximately $8 billion by reclaiming unspent foreign aid from last year. Top-line bullet points and background information on the passed amendment can be found below, and the text can be found HERE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON SEN. PAUL’S AMENDMENTS TO TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING APPROPRIATIONS BILL Designates the Southern Section of the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway as … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-wyden-and-bipartisan-senators-call-congress-stop-massive-expansion-government/ Sens. Paul, Wyden and Bipartisan Senators Call on Congress to Stop Massive Expansion of Government Surveillance and Hacking Power 2016-05-19 2016 2016-05 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Stopping Mass Hacking Act Reverses Disastrous Changes to Warrant Procedures; Congress Must Act or Government Will Be Able to Hack Millions of Americans’ Devices with a Single Warrant, Compromising Security and Privacy Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., today introduced the Stopping Mass Hacking (SMH) Act to protect millions of law-abiding Americans from government hacking. The Stopping Mass Hacking (SMH) Act prevents recently approved changes to Rule 41 from going into effect. The changes would allow the government to get a single warrant to hack an unlimited number of Americans’ computers if their computers had been affected by criminals, possibly without notifying the victims. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., are original co-sponsors of the Senate bill. “This is a dramatic expansion of the government’s hacking and surveillance authority. Such a substantive change with an enormous impact on Americans’ constitutional rights should be debated by Congress, not maneuvered through an obscure bureaucratic process,” said Sen. Wyden. “Unless Congress acts before December 1, Americans’ security and privacy will be thrown out the window and hacking victims will find themselves hacked again – this time by their own government.” “The Fourth Amendment wisely rejected general warrants and requires individualized suspicion before the government can forcibly search private information. I fear this rule change will make it easier for the government to search innocent Americans’ computers and undermine the requirement for individual suspicion,” said Sen. Paul. “Congress must act to prevent this threat to the privacy of law abiding Americans and ensure a rule change of this magnitude has the proper oversight.” said Sen. Baldwin. “I am proud to join this bipartisan effort. We need to stand up to this government intrusion and protect American civil liberties and freedoms.” “Our law enforcement policies need to be updated to reflect 21st century r… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendments-transportation-and-housing-appropriations-bill/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendments to Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill 2016-05-17 2016 2016-05 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 today introduced the following amendments to H.R. 2577, the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill currently being considered by the Senate. The first amendment will designate the southern section of the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway in Kentucky as Interstate 169, and the second amendment will prohibit the use of funds to regulate the acquisition, use, transfer, or disposal of certain airport property. Later this afternoon, Sen. Paul will introduce an additional amendment, which will take back unspent money designated for foreign assistance and transfer those funds to be spent on roads and bridges in the United States. Top-line bullet points and background information on the introduced amendments can be found below, and the text can be found HERE and HERE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON SEN. PAUL’S AMENDMENTS TO TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING APPROPRIATIONS BILL Prohibits the Use of Funds to Regulate the Acquisition, Use, Transfer, or Disposal of Certain Airport Property States and localities have access to many sources of financing in order to make improvements to their local airports. With the abundant restrictions and regulations that come with acceptance and use of Federal funding, many communities are using these financing options. Despite the lack of use of Federal funding, the Federal Aviation Administration has continued to place restrictions on airport projects until environmental impact analysis are conducted. The amendment prohibits the Federal Aviation Administration to regulate the acquisition, use, transfer, or disposal of property that is not purchased with Federal funding, so long as the action doesn’t impact safety or efficiency of aircraft operations. Designates the Southern Section of the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway as Interstate 169 The I-69 development project is an important multi-state interstate development project that will be incorporated into the National Freight Corridor system. In … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-millions-taxpayer-dollars-spent-promote-diplomacy-us-largest-foreign/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Spent to Promote Diplomacy with U.S.’ Largest Foreign Creditors 2016-05-16 2016 2016-05 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 today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul draws attention to the federal government spending millions of dollars every year to fund a center, known as the East-West Center, at the University of Hawaii to promote diplomacy with the Asian and Pacific island nations. These nations include China and Japan, our nation’s two largest foreign creditors, from which our government has borrowed $3.4 trillions to cover our annual deficit. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Over time ‘The Waste Report’ has told you various international follies aimed at building good will around the world. Who could forget such things as sending jazz bands to Turkey, Pakistani kids to Space Camp, or fostering better understanding with the UK. But did you know Uncle Sam spends millions of dollars supporting a center at the University of Hawaii[1] to promote better relations with Asian and Pacific island nations? The East-West (E-W) Center, as it is known, was created by Congress in 1960 to “better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific.”[2] Of course in 1960, Hawaii had just become a state, the U.S. was on the cusp of its third war in the Pacific since 1941, we weren’t even talking to mainland China, no one had the internet, and international travel was rare. No one drove a Kia or wore Nikes, which have always been produced in Asia, and Ninja Warrior wasn’t even a thing. In the last five decades it’s safe to say things have changed a little. In addition to trade and media, today, China and Japan are our two largest foreign creditors. While the U.S. is borrowing money from China, Japan, and other Asian nations (about $3.4 Trillion[3]), over 600 of those countries’ citizens are attending the E-W Center the U.S. taxpayer is funding.[4] In fact, according to the one … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-requests-response-office-surface-mining-proposed-stream-protection-rule/ Sen. Rand Paul Requests Response from Office of Surface Mining on Proposed Stream Protection Rule 2016-05-13 2016 2016-05 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 today sent a letter to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) Director Joseph Pizarchik regarding their continued lack of response to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet on the proposed Stream Protection Rule (SPR). In the letter, Sen. Paul requests that OSM fully comply with the Omnibus Appropriations Report language by providing Kentucky with all of the necessary documents, including all drafts relative to the draft and final environmental impact statements that were called for in the report language. As of today, Kentucky has not received a response from OSM to Kentucky’s Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet Charles Snavely’s February 8th letter requesting a list of all technical reports, data, analyses, comments received, and drafts related to the environmental reviews, and draft and final environmental impact statements related to the proposed SPR rule. This request was sent three months ago, and it is concerning that the request has not been fulfilled or even acknowledged by OSM. In the letter, Sen. Paul asks that OSM send these materials on or before May 27, 2016, so the Cabinet will have the necessary time to review them before requesting a meeting with OSM prior to SPR finalization. In addition to sending the required documents, Sen. Paul asks that OSM indicate when it plans to reopen the public comment period for the proposed SPR and its associated draft and final environmental impact statements and regulatory impact analyses after having provided meaningful consultation with Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet, and provide that information to his office. This proposed rule is going to have a major impact on Kentucky and the coal mining industry, and in order to responsibly draft a final rule, OSM will need to consider Kentucky’s state-specific concerns. The text of both letters can be found below. A copy of the letter to the Department of the Interior can be found HERE, and a copy of the letter to the Office … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-resolution-commending-sigar-providing-accountability-taxpayer-dollars/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Resolution Commending SIGAR for Providing Accountability for Taxpayer Dollars 2016-05-12 2016 2016-05 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 introduced a resolution in the Senate today commending the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) for providing accountability for taxpayer dollars spent in Afghanistan. In the resolution, Sen. Paul also urges all inspectors general to look to the SIGAR as an example of the vigor and independence the Senate expects of persons given the responsibility to conduct agency oversight. Since the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction’s creation in 2008, the office’s recommendations has resulted in more than $1,000,000,000 in potential taxpayer savings. “I commend the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction today for being a strong voice and a good steward of taxpayer dollars, as well as urge all inspectors general to look to the SIGAR as an example of the Senate’s expectations of your duty to this country, and not as an exception to the rule,” Sen. Paul said. To read the resolution in it entirety, click HERE. Earlier this year in January, Sen. Paul released a special edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which highlighted the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction’s report on the U.S. Department of Defense losing $29 million of heavy equipment in Afghanistan. Click HERE to read the special edition of ‘The Waste Report.’ ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-questions-former-obama-administrations-official-and-advisor-foreign-relation/ Sen. Rand Paul Questions Former Obama Administration’s Official and Advisor at Foreign Relation Committee Hearing on America’s Military Role in the World 2016-05-12 2016 2016-05 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 today attended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to question former Secretary of State James Baker and former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on our nation’s current role in the world and our priorities for future global engagement. During the hearing, Sen. Paul emphasized the need for the President to always seek congressional approval before engaging in any type of armed conflicts or wars, as well as come before Congress with an exit strategy prior to any combat operations. Additionally, Sen. Paul questioned former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon on President Obama’s failed foreign policy in Libya. A video of the exchange can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL REMARKS AT SFRC HEARING ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-70000-nsf-study-investigating-gender-wikipedias-contributors/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $70,000 NSF Study Investigating the Gender of Wikipedia’s Contributors 2016-05-10 2016 2016-05 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 today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul uncovers the National Science Foundation (NSF) spending $70,000 taxpayer dollars to fund a New York University study investigating the gender gap among contributors to the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Have a question? Often Wikipedia has an answer. But if your question is, “Why is the federal government spending $70k to study gender disparity among Wikipedia contributors,” you might get back, “results not found: did you mean ‘government waste?'” That’s right! The National Science Foundation (NSF) spent $70,000 funding a New York University study to investigate the gender gap among contributors to Wikipedia. If you are not familiar, Wikipedia is a free on-line encyclopedia where, “[a]nyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles.” According to Wikipedia, it is true that only about 13 percent of their regular contributors are female. However, there is no measurement for how much content female Wikipedians contribute or provide. What is clear is that whether male or female, a small minority of users provide any content to Wikipedia; just 25 percent ever make an edits/contributions and 0.004 percent of users are classified as regular contributors – which still only requires one edit every 30 days. Nonetheless, all users can edit content if they so choose, meaning this is an issue of self-selection. Even under tighter budgets, NSF has seen a 22 percent increase in funding since President Obama took office. This year’s budget asks for nearly $8 billion to support this agency, stating: NSF is vital because we invest in basic research and people who make the discoveries that transform our future. Those discoveries are a primary driver of the U.S. economy, enhance our Nation’s security… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-1-million-taxpayer-funded-variety-show-afghanistan/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights $1 Million Taxpayer Funded Variety Show in Afghanistan 2016-05-02 2016 2016-05 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 today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. Sen. Paul highlights, in the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ the Department of State spending $1 million taxpayer money to produce 12 episodes of a variety show in Afghanistan. The Department of State claims the main purpose will be to teach English, however, the variety show will still be primarily written and performed using Dari, Afghanistan’s primary language. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Whole generations of Americans have fond memories of tuning in to the Ed Sullivan Show or the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Others might identify more with the late-night derivation of the variety show embodied by Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brian. Now Uncle Sam is hoping a new generation will fall in love with the variety show…in Afghanistan. That’s right!!! The Department of State, through the U.S. Embassy-Kabul, recently issued a $1 million funding opportunity to produce 12 episodes of a variety show in Afghanistan with the ultimate purpose of teaching English.[1] Of course the show will be filmed before a live studio audience and include performances in English. But, “[t]he show should be written and performed using Dari (Persian) as the primary language. Episodes will have a considerable amount of English, but primary communication and explanation should be in Dari.” So, since the show is mostly in the native language, to reinforce English learning there will be 60-second cutaways with English lessons on such things as how to read a menu or make a contraction. Taking a page from American late-night, the show will also include an “on-the-street element were people practice their English.” Kind of a Jaywalking, Kabul edition; maybe they will ask Afghanis what they think about The Waste Report or if anyone has used the $43 million gas station Uncle Sam paid for. But perhaps the most intriguing… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:51:40Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-27-billion-duplicative-climate-research/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $2.7 Billion in Duplicative Climate Research 2016-04-25 2016 2016-04 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. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO), Sen. Paul in the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report’ uncovers thirteen federal agencies spending over $2.7 billion taxpayer dollars to individually research the same issue – climate change. The report goes on to point out that the federal government expended an additional $18 billion to study efforts to mitigate climate change. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Earlier this month the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its sixth report on government duplication and fragmentation. Most can agree that doing the same thing twice – or 200 times as is the case for federal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education programs – leads to waste.[1] But one area that seems to have missed the duplication monitors at GAO is climate change research.[2] The FSO Subcommittee did not have to dig too hard to find that there are at least thirteen federal agencies spending over $2.7 billion to research global climate change; it is all laid out neatly in a 2013 White House report.[3] Let’s be clear, this is just for research on what some call settled science, and that figure does not include the over $18 billion in additional money going to efforts to mitigate climate change. One would think this kind of research would be limited to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA – of which the National Weather Service is a component), as they are the agency, charged with studying weather and the atmosphere. As it turns out, at over $360 million, NOAA is not even the largest researcher of climate change in the federal government. That title goes to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which spent a whopping $1.5 billion. Wonder why we haven’t gone back to the moon? Perhaps an… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-urges-colleagues-vote-economic-freedom-zones-amendment-energy-bill/ FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Urges Colleagues to Vote for “Economic Freedom Zones” Amendment to Energy Bill 2016-04-19 2016 2016-04 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Biggest Anti-Poverty Initiative Since the War on Poverty if Passed WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the U.S. Senate floor today, Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks urging his colleagues to support his amendment, known as the Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015 (S.790), to H.R. 2028, the Energy Policy Modernization Act. The legislation will establish free market enterprise zones and dramatically reduce taxes in order to help facilitate the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, enhance and renew educational opportunities and increase community involvement in bankrupt or economically distressed areas. These zones will apply to any zip code with unemployment greater than one and a half times the national average. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in March 2015. A transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks as prepared for delivery and video of his floor speech are available below. Additionally, top-line bullet points and background information on the Economic Freedom Zones Act can be found HERE. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: I rise today to introduce the largest, most sweeping anti-poverty legislation since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty began. This legislation will provide over $100 billion to communities devastated by chronic poverty. Communities like Eastern Kentucky that have been devastated by the President’s War on Coal would be rescued. Communities where the water is unsafe to drink like Flint, Michigan, would be restored. Communities like Ferguson, the Southside of Chicago, and the West End of Louisville, will be given a chance to find the American Dream if this legislation is passed. My legislation is not a gift or a grant. My legislation simply allows over a $100 billion to remain in the hands of those who earned it. My legislation will provide the incentive for businesses and capital to return to areas overwhelmed by chronic poverty and unemployment. We are just past the 50-year mark of the War on Pove… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-economic-freedom-zones-amendment-energy-bill/ Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s “Economic Freedom Zones” Amendment to Energy Bill 2016-04-19 2016 2016-04 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Biggest Anti-Poverty Initiative Since the War on Poverty if Passed WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today voted on Senator Rand Paul’s amendment, known as the Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015 (S.790), to H.R. 2028, the Energy Policy Modernization Act. The legislation will establish free market enterprise zones and dramatically reduce taxes in order to help facilitate the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, enhance and renew educational opportunities and increase community involvement in bankrupt or economically distressed areas. These zones will apply to any zip code with unemployment greater than one and a half times the national average. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in March 2015. The vote, which needed 60 to pass, was 35-62. Prior to the vote, Sen. Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to support the Economic Freedom Zones Act. A video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s floor speech are available below. Additionally, top-line bullet points and background information on the Economic Freedom Zones Act can be found HERE. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Jack Kemp and others who have looked and examined the issue of poverty have often found that we haven’t done a great job alleviating poverty. We’ve tried government programs in my state. We’ve tried them in rural Appalachia for 40 years, and yet we still have persistent poverty. Many of us believe that we would have a better chance with poverty if we would lower taxes in these areas, lessen regulation and instead of sending the money to Washington, leave it where the poverty is. My bill alone would leave $500 million in eastern Kentucky, $200 million in Louisville. We’ve had much discussion of Flint, Michigan, and the water problem there. My bill would leave $124 million in Flint, Michigan next week. My bill would leave over $1 billion in Detroit. If there are those in this body who can come together and say that we ha… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-senate-vote-economic-freedom-zones-amendment-energy-bill/ Sen. Rand Paul Announces Senate Vote on “Economic Freedom Zones” Amendment to Energy Bill 2016-04-18 2016 2016-04 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Biggest Anti-Poverty Initiative Since the War on Poverty if Passed WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans for the Senate to vote this week on his legislation, known as the Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015. The legislation, S.790, will be voted on as an amendment to H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The Economic Freedom Zones Act will establish free market enterprise zones and dramatically reduce taxes in order to help facilitate the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, enhance and renew educational opportunities and increase community involvement in bankrupt or economically distressed areas. These zones will apply to any zip code with unemployment greater than one and a half times the national average. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in March 2015. “Economic Freedom Zones would be the largest anti-poverty initiative since the War on Poverty. There are many communities in our country, and throughout Kentucky, still waiting and praying for economic recovery and opportunity,” said Sen. Paul. “The Economic Freedom Zones Act will allow impoverished areas to remove the shackles of big government by reducing taxes, regulations, and burdensome work requirements. By taking drastic, meaningful action, my legislation will create new jobs, get these communities back to work, and give Americans in these areas the chance to succeed. I am proud to have secured a vote on my proposal this week,” Sen. Paul continued. Top-line bullet points and background information on the Economic Freedom Zones Act can be found HERE or below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Economic Freedom Zone legislation will provide the following: Immediate Relief – The quickest way to spur economic recovery is to allow residents and successful businesses to keep more of the money they earn so they can more fully engage in economic activity. Economic Freedom Zones achieve this by: Reducing the individual and corporate income… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-exposes-2-million-state-department-project-sending-filmmakers-worldwide-promote/ Sen. Rand Paul Exposes $2 Million State Department Project Sending Filmmakers Worldwide to Promote Diplomacy 2016-04-18 2016 2016-04 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. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul draws attention to the U.S. Department of State expending $2 million taxpayer dollars, in the last year alone, to send filmmakers to various countries across the globe to show their documentaries in order to foster “understanding and cooperation, dialogue and debate.” Since the project’s beginning over 4 years ago, the government has spent nearly $5 million and has reached roughly 25,000 individuals worldwide – meaning the U.S. taxpayer has paid just over $200 a person. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Documentaries often give us insight into some subject with which we were previously not familiar. What you might also not be familiar with is how last year Uncle Sam spent over $2 million of your tax money to send filmmakers around the world showing their documentaries in the name of diplomacy.[1] The American Film Showcase, a partnership between the University of Southern California and the U.S. Department of State (State) “highlights the value of film in fostering understanding and cooperation, dialogue and debate.” According to the Showcase’s overview video, people’s perception of the U.S. is often drawn from blockbuster movies, said while panning past a Captain America shield. The Showcase aims to spread a more realistic view of America around the world, but also “[t]o encourage American filmmakers and film experts to learn about life and culture in selected host countries.” Thus, the taxpayer has paid to send these film-makers on 7-10 day trips to foreign countries, screening their and others’ works. In fact, over four years, the Showcase has sent filmmakers to 73 countries “reaching” roughly 25,000 people worldwide according to the programs figures.[2] With approximately $5 million in grants from State over that time, the U.S. taxpayer is payin… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-statement-ustr-and-commerce-hearing-advocating-ak-steel/ Sen. Rand Paul Statement at USTR and Commerce Hearing Advocating for AK Steel 2016-04-18 2016 2016-04 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 released the following statement, on behalf of AK Steel’s unemployed workers in the Ashland community, at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce hearing last week regarding the global steel industry and its impact on the U.S. steel industry and market. Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles and Tim Gibbs, President of the Ashland Alliance, also testified before the USTR and Commerce representatives. Following AK Steel’s announcement of major layoffs at the Ashland Works plant in October 2015, Sen. Paul has worked closely with the Ashland delegation and community leaders to monitor the situation and has made several official inquiries into the U.S. Department of Labor to grant Trade Adjustment Assistance on behalf of the Ashland community. The full text of the statement can be found below. STATEMENT TEXT Mr. Jim Sanford Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Washington, DC Dear Mr. Sanford, I write to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in regards to the the global steel industry situation and its impact on U.S. steel industry and market (Docket No: 2016-04857) published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2016. I know this is an issue incredibly important to the hard-working families in Ashland, Kentucky, as well many other communities in this great nation. World wide demand for crude steel has decreased significantly in recent years. In countries like China domestic consumption has decreased so significantly that they and possibly other countries have resorted to exporting large amounts of steel far below fair market value, and drastically impacted U.S. steel producers. One such steel producer is AK Steel, which has a facility in Ashland, Kentucky. In October 2015, AK Steel announced the company would temporarily layoff close to 700 employees at its Ashland Works facility and, potentially, idle the plant. The company stated that one of the reasons for the temporary… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-protecting-gun-rights-and-due-process-act/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act 2016-04-14 2016 2016-04 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 Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act, which would provide protection for gun owners by ensuring due process rights are upheld in the event an individual’s eligibility is questioned and reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). “The Obama administration is at it again, and this time they are unilaterally stripping gun rights from our nation’s veterans and seniors. The Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act will provide necessary protection for gun-owning Americans, and ultimately ensure that the Second Amendment is not infringed upon,” Sen. Paul said. The Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act has gained support from the following organizations: the Gun Owners of America and the National Association of Gun Rights. “Senator Paul’s ‘Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act’ will do much to block President Obama’s ability to strip the Second Amendment rights from law-abiding gun owners, veterans, and senior citizens without due process. Furthermore, it would restore rights for thousands of law-abiding gun owners, veterans, and senior citizens who were stripped of their Second Amendment rights without getting their day in court. Once again this bill shows that Senator Paul is one of Washington’s leading advocates for gun owners and the Second Amendment,” said the National Association of Gun Rights. To read the legislation in its entirety, click HERE. Top-line bullet points and background information on the Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act can be found HERE or below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE PROTECTING GUN RIGHTS AND DUE PROCESS ACT Prohibits the sale or disposition of a firearm or ammunition to an individual that has been adjudicated as mentally incompetent or committed to a psychiatric hospital. Adjudication requires findings by a judicial officer or court and the individual receives notice to participate with counsel. Within 90 days, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must review and remove… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-murphy-introduce-legislation-set-new-conditions-us-military-support-saudi-arabia/ Sens. Paul, Murphy Introduce Legislation to Set New Conditions For U.S. Military Support to Saudi Arabia 2016-04-13 2016 2016-04 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper Bipartisan legislation will suspend certain munitions transfers to Saudi Arabia until President of the United States certifies Saudi Arabia’s demonstrated commitment to fighting terror & protecting civilians in Yemen WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, today introduced new legislation to prevent the United States from continuing to support Saudi-led military campaigns in places like Yemen where Saudi Arabia’s year-long campaign has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis and a security vacuum that has empowered our terrorist enemies al Qaeda and ISIS. The Murphy-Paul bipartisan legislation will require the President of the United States to formally certify that the Government of Saudi Arabia is demonstrating an ongoing effort to target terrorist groups, minimize harm to civilians, and facilitate humanitarian assistance before Congress can consider the sale or transfer of air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia. “Saudi Arabia is an important partner, but we must acknowledge when a friend’s actions aren’t in our national interest. I have yet to see evidence that the civil war we’re supplying and supporting in Yemen advances our national security. The more it drags on, the clearer it becomes that our military involvement on behalf of the Saudi-led coalition is prolonging human suffering in Yemen and aiding the very groups that are intent on attacking us,” said Murphy. “As the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, anti-American sentiment is spiraling as the local population blames the U.S. for the thousands of civilian deaths resulting from the Saudis’ bombing campaign. This will come back to haunt us. And worse, our Gulf state partners have scaled back their anti-ISIS activity in order to focus on fighting Iran in Yemen. It’s time that we put real conditions on our militar… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-holds-hearing-fema-examine-waste-and-identify-solutions/ Sen. Rand Paul Holds Hearing on FEMA to Examine Waste and Identify Solutions 2016-04-12 2016 2016-04 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 (HSGAC) held a hearing entitled, “FEMA: Assessing Progress, Performance, and Preparedness.” Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the subcommittee, and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) also participated in the hearing. During the oversight hearing, Sen. Paul assessed the effectiveness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) preparedness grants programs, and highlighted examples of wasteful spending by grant recipients. Sen. Paul also sought additional details on FEMA’s lack of progress in implementing recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. Witnesses testifying in the hearing included: Timothy W. Manning, Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security; John Roth, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Christopher Currie, Director of Emergency Management, National Preparedness, and Critical Infrastructure Protection for the Homeland Security and Justice Team and U.S. Government Accountability Office; and John Drake, Deputy Administrator and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for the U.S. Department of Transportation The video of Sen. Paul’s opening remarks at the committee hearing can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S OPENING REMARKS AT THE COMMITTEE HEARING ? ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-veterans-health-administration-neglecting-care-veterans-top-wasting/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights Veterans Health Administration Neglecting Care of Veterans on Top of Wasting $217,000 on Unused Medical Equipment 2016-04-11 2016 2016-04 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul highlights the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System knowingly allowing $217,000 taxpayer dollars’ worth of medical equipment to sit idle for over four months preventing veterans from getting the medical care they deserve and need. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. You might have heard some new terms lately, things like: supply-chain, just-in-time inventory, Lean Six Sigma, and even some old words like efficiency and logistics have gotten new pep. It is all part of a collective realization in business that letting supplies sit idle is wasteful; even the best tools and products do no good if they are misused or allowed to sit. Unfortunately, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) seems to have missed this trend and allowed 360 pieces of medical equipment to sit idle for months, costing taxpayers $217,000.[1] According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General (IG), the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System took delivery of $1.8 million worth of leased urology equipment in October 2014, and then let it sit idle for nearly half a year. Unlike purchased equipment that presumable has life based on usage, this equipment has a fixed time lease of three years, meaning the taxpayer pays for it whether they are using it or not. The VHA tried to justify this delay in two ways – that any new equipment must go through an onboarding process, cataloging, cleaning, training, etc., and that the contracting officer suddenly retired and was not able to coordinate the onboarding process. However, it was a whistleblower that brought this issue to the IG, indicating even within the VA there was a sentiment that this equipment was being ignored. So how arduous is the onboarding process? While it does include a number of… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-amendments-faa-reauthorization-act/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Amendments to FAA Reauthorization Act 2016-04-07 2016 2016-04 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper The “Arming All Pilots Act” Amendment and a Bipartisan Amendment with Sen. Edward Markey WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul this week introduced two amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. The first amendment, known as the Arming All Pilots Act (S.1594), would increase training opportunities to encourage pilots to participate in the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) Program. Sen. Paul’s second bipartisan amendment, introduced alongside Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA), would protect an individual’s right to privacy against unwarranted governmental intrusion through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. Specifically, the Arming All Pilots Act as an amendment would 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. Sen. Paul originally introduced the Arming All Pilots Act in June 2015. “The Federal Flight Deck Officer Program is an important element in our continued efforts to ensure the safety of airline passengers, and my amendment 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 amendment addresses those concerns and ensures that participants in the program have the critical training they need,” Sen. Paul said. The second bipartisan amendment would prohibit law enforcement from using a drone to surveil or collect evidence pertaining to a violation of a law or regulation without a warrant. While the use of drone aircraft and technology continues to expand in all areas of the government, the amendment will ensure the protection of every American citizen’s right to constitutional privacy protections. “The use o… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:49:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-statement-department-labor-allow-taa-assistance-ak-steel-ashland-layoffs/ Sen. Rand Paul Statement on Department of Labor to Allow TAA Assistance for AK Steel Ashland Layoffs 2016-03-29 2016 2016-03 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 following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s announcement to grant Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program eligibility to the unemployed personnel at AK Steel’s Ashland Works plant in Ashland, Kentucky. “After making several official inquiries on behalf of the unemployed workers and families in the Ashland community, I am extremely pleased today to hear of the Department of Labor’s decision to grant AK Steel’s Ashland Works plant eligibility to obtain TAA benefits and services. I made a commitment to the community to monitor this situation and aid in any way possible, and will continue to do so,” Sen. Paul said. Following AK Steel’s announcement of major layoffs at the Ashland Works plant in October 2015, Sen. Paul has worked closely with the Ashland delegation and community leaders to monitor the situation and has made several official inquiries into TAA assistance on behalf of AK Steel’s unemployed workers. Benefits of the TAA program will include: reemployment services to help workers obtain new employment, weekly income support payments, and eligibility for tax credits to cover health insurance premiums. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-national-park-services-150000-grant-study-alaskan-natives-beliefs/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers National Park Service’s $150,000 Grant to Study Alaskan Native’s Beliefs of the Supernatural 2016-03-29 2016 2016-03 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. In the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ Sen. Paul uncovers the National Park Service (NPS) funding a $150,000 grant to conduct a three-year study where the primary objective is to investigate Alaska’s Bering Strait Inuit tribe’s experiences with the supernatural in Alaska. According to NPS, the supernatural occurrences the study explores will be unexplained lights, sea monsters, invisible sea birds, animals with transformative powers, a variety of other non-human persons, and so on. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Honestly, we did not make this up and we did not find this one in the Onion; but someone must have been really excited about Fox’s reboot of the X-Files because the National Park Service is spending $150,000 of taxpayer money to investigate supernatural events in Alaska.[1] Yes, you read that right. Last month, the National Park Service announced a $150,000 grant to Kawerak, Inc., who has no cost-sharing obligation, to conduct a three-year study under the title, “Knowledge, Experience and Beliefs of the Supernatural Environment.” By the way, this is the same Park Service that reports it has an almost $12 billion maintenance backlog.[2] You might think this is simply cataloging historical and traditional beliefs of indigenous peoples of Alaska. To be sure, part of the project is to conduct archival research, but there is more. According to the announcement, “The primary objective of this project is to investigate Bering Strait Inuit residents’ beliefs and knowledge about (and experiences with) the supernatural environment…” Experiences with the supernatural? Yes. In fact, according to the announcement, Kawerak is expected to, “[d]ocument community members’ personal experience with the supernatural…”[3] This will include community meetings where all ages are expected to participate, children … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-champion-interactive-waste-report-bracket/ Sen. Rand Paul Announces Champion of the Interactive ‘The Waste Report’ Bracket 2016-03-21 2016 2016-03 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 “helped deported illegal immigrants start businesses in their home country” as the overall champion of the interactive bracket of ‘The Waste Report,’ known as the Tournament of Government Waste. On Friday, the last two groups standing that went head-to-head in the finals were: Helped deported illegal immigrants start businesses in their home country and Allow millionaires to live in taxpayer-subsidized public housing. The interactive tournament bracket, consisting of four rounds over the span of five days, commenced on Tuesday, March 15th and concluded Friday, March 18th. Results for the tournament were counted at midnight at the end of each day and announced the following day. To read Sen. Paul’s wrap-up of the Tournament of Government Waste, view HERE or below. The results for the bracket can also be viewed below. WRAP-UP OF THE TOURNAMENT OF GOVERNMENT WASTE Illegal Immigrants’ Business Plans!!!! After four intense rounds of voting, Illegal Immigrants’ Business Plans emerged as the Champion of Government Waste. After surviving a close second round matchup against the Afghan Cricket League, Illegal Immigrant’s Business Plans easily knocked off #1 seed, Paying to Send Pakistani Kids to Space Camp, to advance to the finals. In a back and forth, barn burner of a final round, Illegal Immigrants’ Business Plans prevailed 52% to 48% over Millionaires in Public Housing. This was the first year of The Waste Report’s, Tournament of Government Waste, where we pitted 16 of the worst examples of government waste against each other, and let you decide which was the most egregious. The champion, Illegal Immigrant Business Plans was the subject of the January 4th, 2016 Waste Report. You will recall that the Inter-America Foundation spent $50,000 in El Salvador to help aid returning deportees start businesses there. The Inter-American Foundation sought to clarify that the program was not “intended” to aid criminal deportees (those convicted of crimes in the U.S.) … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-results-final-matchup-interactive-waste-report-bracket/ Sen. Rand Paul Announces Results for the Final Matchup of the Interactive ‘The Waste Report’ Bracket 2016-03-18 2016 2016-03 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 the results for the final two groups left competing for the Tournament of Government Waste, which is a special interactive bracket of ‘The Waste Report.’ The last two groups standing that will go head-to-head in the finals will be: Helped deport illegal immigrants start businesses in their home country and Allow millionaires to live in taxpayer-subsidized public housing. The interactive tournament bracket, consisting of four rounds over the span of five days, is featured on Sen. Paul’s official website and Facebook page, and commenced on Tuesday, March 15th and will conclude Friday, March 18th. Results for the tournament will be counted at midnight at the end of each day and announced the following day. The overall champion of the tournament will be announced on Monday, March 21st. The next round of the Tournament of Government Waste bracket can be viewed below. To access and participate in ‘The Waste Report’ tournament on Sen. Paul’s website and Facebook page, click HERE and HERE. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-second-round-results-special-interactive-waste-report-bracket/ Sen. Rand Paul Announces Second Round Results of Special Interactive ‘The Waste Report’ Bracket 2016-03-17 2016 2016-03 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 the second round results for the Tournament of Government Waste, which is a special interactive bracket of ‘The Waste Report.’ The second round of the tournament was comprised of 8 head-to-head lineups of egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government, previously released from Sen. Paul’s ‘The Waste Report.’ The winners of the second day that will advance to the next round include: Sending Kids to Pakistan on a trip to Space Camp, Helped deport illegal immigrants start businesses in their home country, Allow millionaires to live in taxpayer-subsidized public housing, and Built a gas station in Afghanistan that nobody uses. The interactive tournament bracket, consisting of four rounds over the span of five days, is featured on Sen. Paul’s official website and Facebook page, and commenced on Tuesday, March 15th and will conclude Friday, March 18th. Results for the tournament will be counted at midnight at the end of each day and announced the following day. The overall champion of the tournament will be announced on Monday, March 21st. The next round of the Tournament of Government Waste bracket can be viewed below. To access and participate in ‘The Waste Report’ tournament on Sen. Paul’s website and Facebook page, click HERE and HERE. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-help-committee-passes-sens-rand-paul-and-edward-markeys-bipartisan-treat-act/ HELP Committee Passes Sens. Rand Paul and Edward Markey’s Bipartisan “TREAT Act” 2016-03-16 2016 2016-03 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today unanimously passed the Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment (TREAT Act), originally introduced by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA). The bipartisan TREAT Act would expand specialized treatment for prescription painkiller and heroin addiction. As a physician by trade for over 20 years, Sen. Paul has been leading the fight to provide greater treatment opportunities for patients struggling with drug addiction by eliminating Washington’s overreaching and misguided restrictions on patients’ access to treatment. Specifically, the TREAT Act would expand the ability of addiction medical specialists and other trained medical professionals to provide life-saving medication-assisted therapies such as buprenorphine, also called Suboxone, for patients battling heroin and prescription painkiller addiction. “I am encouraged today by the HELP Committee’s passage of the TREAT Act. All across Kentucky, I have heard time and time again from families and medical professionals how the federal government’s arbitrary patient caps are blocking access to effective and proven treatments for those who want help, and ultimately, harming both the addicted person and their loved ones. The TREAT Act will remove a roadblock to getting people the help they need to break the cycle of addition and get on a path to recovery,” said Senator Paul. “We need to remove the barriers to effective treatment for opioid addiction, including outdated federal restrictions on medication-assisted therapies like buprenorphine. Unlike any other treatment regimen for any other disease, physicians are severely limited in the number of patients they can treat with medication-assisted therapies, contributing to long waitlists and the inability of patients to get treatment for their addiction when they need it. Approximately 2.5 million Americans who abused or were dependent on opioids in 2012, fewer than one million received treatment for their condi… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-first-round-results-special-interactive-waste-report-bracket/ Sen. Rand Paul Announces First Round Results of Special Interactive ‘The Waste Report’ Bracket 2016-03-16 2016 2016-03 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 first round results from his special interactive bracket of ‘The Waste Report,’ known as the Tournament of Government Waste. For the first round of the tournament, the bracket was comprised of 16 head-to-head lineups of egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government, previously released from Sen. Paul’s ‘The Waste Report.’ The winners of the first day that will advance to the second round include: Sending Kids to Pakistan on a trip to Space Camp, Pitched in for a Hollywood museum about the Oscars, Started a professional cricket league in Afghanistan, Helped deport illegal immigrants start businesses in their home country, allow millionaires to live in taxpayer-subsidized public housing, studied the gambling habits of Ugandans, gave FEMA assistance for losses already covered by private insurance, and built a gas station in Afghanistan that nobody uses. The interactive tournament bracket, consisting of four rounds over the span of five days, will be featured on Sen. Paul’s official website and Facebook page, and commenced on Tuesday, March 15th and will conclude Friday, March 18th. Results for the tournament will be counted at midnight at the end of each day and announced the following day. The overall champion of the tournament will be announced on Monday, March 21st. The Second Round of the Tournament of Government Waste bracket can be viewed below. To access and participate in ‘The Waste Report’ tournament on Sen. Paul’s website and Facebook page, click HERE and HERE. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-help-committee-vote-sens-rand-paul-and-edward-markey-treat-act/ HELP Committee to Vote on Sens. Rand Paul and Edward Markey “TREAT Act” 2016-03-15 2016 2016-03 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, March 16th, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to vote on the Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment (TREAT Act), originally introduced by U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA). The bipartisan TREAT Act would expand specialized treatment for prescription drug and heroin addiction. As a physician by trade for over 20 years, Sen. Paul has been leading the fight to provide greater treatment opportunities for patients struggling with drug addiction by eliminating Washington’s overreaching and misguided restrictions on patients’ access to treatment. Specifically, the TREAT Act would expand the ability of addiction medical specialists and other trained medical professionals to provide life-saving medication-assisted therapies such as buprenorphine, also called Suboxone, for patients battling heroin and prescription drug addiction. This amendment would also allow qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants the ability to prescribe this medication for the first time. “All across Kentucky, I have heard time and time again from families and medical professionals how the federal government’s arbitrary patient caps are blocking access to effective and proven treatments for those who want help, and ultimately, harming both the addicted person and their loved ones. The TREAT Act will remove a roadblock to getting people the help they need to break the cycle of addition and get on a path to recovery,” said Senator Paul. Click HERE to read the TREAT Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information on the TREAT Act Manager’s amendment can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE TREAT ACT MANAGER’S AMENDMENT Expands the maximum allowable patient cap from 100 to 500 maximum patients. Changes the initial (first year) allowable patient load under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) from 30 to 100, and after one year a physician may request to treat up to 500 patients. Allows certain physicians, a… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-unveils-special-interactive-waste-report-bracket/ Sen. Rand Paul Unveils Special Interactive ‘The Waste Report’ Bracket 2016-03-15 2016 2016-03 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 unveiled a special interactive bracket of ‘The Waste Report,’ known as the Tournament of Government Waste. The bracket will be comprised of head-to-head lineups of egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government, previously released from Sen. Paul’s ‘The Waste Report.’ The interactive tournament bracket, consisting of four rounds over the span of five days, will be featured on Sen. Paul’s official website and Facebook page, and will commence Tuesday, March 15th and conclude Friday, March 18th. Results for the tournament will be counted at midnight at the end of each day and announced the following day. The overall champion of the tournament will be announced on Monday, March 21st. The Tournament of Government Waste bracket can be viewed below. To access and participate in ‘The Waste Report’ tournament on Sen. Paul’s website and Facebook page, click HERE and HERE. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-90000-taxpayer-dollars-spent-department-state-promote-peaceful/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights $90,000 Taxpayer Dollars Spent by the Department of State to Promote Peaceful Relations between the U.S. and the United Kingdom 2016-03-11 2016 2016-03 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition of ‘The Waste Report’ uncovers the U.S. Department of State expending $90,000 of taxpayer dollars to promote peaceful relations between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. All the while, the same Department of State considers the U.S. to have “no closer ally than the United Kingdom.” ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. No lead-in needed for this one. The U.S. Department of State is spending $90,000 to promote better understanding between the U.S. and….wait for it….the United Kingdom (UK). According to the grant solicitation, the successful recipient shall make sub-awards between $250 and $40,000 to facilitate, among other things, student and faculty exchange, speakers, and film and art programs.[1] We do not recommend sharing The Patriot. The U.S. Embassy in London justifies this grant under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, quoting, “to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries… and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and other countries of the world.”[2] Promoting peaceful relations? While it is true that the United States and the United Kingdom had a rocky start to our relationship, after more than a century of alliance it is probably safe to say we are on pretty good terms with our friends across the pond. You might even say we have a “special relationship,” as Winston Churchill did in his famous 1946 “Iron Curtain” speech and has been repeated by leaders from both countries ever since.[3] Don’t take our word for it, according to the same Department of State that is funding this project, “The United States has no closer ally than the United Kingdom… Bilateral cooperation reflects the com… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-supports-state-lawmakers-legislation-bring-charter-school-kentucky/ Sen. Rand Paul Supports State Lawmaker’s Legislation to Bring Charter School to Kentucky 2016-03-11 2016 2016-03 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 following statement in support of legislation by Kentucky State Senator Mike Wilson and State Representative Brad Montrell to adopt new laws to bring charter schools to the Commonwealth. Both Sen. Wilson’s and Rep. Montrell’s bills were introduced earlier last week. “I firmly believe school choice is the great equalizer. All children, no matter who they are or where they live, deserve an equal chance to develop their skills and intellect. I commend Sen. Mike Wilson and Rep. Brad Montrell today for taking the initiative to push for the entrance of charter schools in our Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Sen. Rand Paul said. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-joint-resolution-disapproval-halt-sale-advanced-military-aircraft/ Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s Joint Resolution of Disapproval to Halt Sale of Advanced Military Aircraft to Pakistan 2016-03-10 2016 2016-03 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – By invoking the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, U.S. Senator Rand Paul forced a vote today in the Senate on S.J.Res.31, a joint resolution of disapproval to halt U.S. arms sales to the government of Pakistan. Prior to the vote, Sen. Paul delivered remarks urging his colleagues to support the joint resolution of disapproval, which would have stopped the sale of 8 F-16s and additional technical gear to the Pakistani government. 24-71 voted in support of Pakistan not receiving F-16s. “The U.S. and Pakistani relationship has been a troubled one. Though the government of Pakistan has been considered America’s ally in the fight on terrorism, Pakistan’s behavior would suggest otherwise. While we give them billions of dollars in aid, we are simultaneously aware of their intelligence and military apparatus assisting the Afghan Taliban,” said Sen. Paul. “In addition to Pakistan’s duplicitous nature, it also has a deplorable human rights record. Pakistan often isolates and unjustly jails religious minorities and Christians to include Pakistani Christian Asa Bibi. Only after an international outcry did Pakistan commutes Asa Bibi’s death sentence. In addition to Pakistan’s support of terrorism and deplorable human rights record, it continues to imprison Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped the U.S. locate and kill Osama Bin Laden,” Sen. Paul continued. Click HERE to read the joint resolution of disapproval 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: Pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, I move to discharge the Foreign Relations Committee from further consideration of S. J. Resolution 31 relating to the disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the government of Pakistan. Presiding Officer: The motion is debatable for up to one hour. Sen. Paul: Madam President, I rise in opposition to the American taxpayers being forced to pay for fighter jets for Pakistan. Over $300 million f… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sens-paul-king-introduce-legislation-support-local-meat-processing/ Sens. Paul, King Introduce Legislation to Support Local Meat Processing 2016-03-08 2016 2016-03 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper The PRIME Act would boost local foods movement by easing burdensome federal regulations WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation that would make it easier for small farms and ranches to provide locally-produced meats to consumers. The Processing Revival and Instrastate Meat Exemption Act, or PRIME Act, would give individual states the freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, goat or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores. “In Maine, a growing number of consumers are looking to buy locally-produced meats. But as farmers try to match that increased demand, the most significant barrier is the capacity to have meat processed,” Senator King said. “It simply defies logic that a Maine farmer has to send their animals halfway across the state when they just want to sell the meat next door. By providing states with the option to regulate the processing and local sale of meats, the PRIME Act will restore a measure of commonsense to the process, support Maine’s farmers, and bolster the local foods movement, all while protecting consumer safety.” “The PRIME Act will make it easier for farmers to sell and consumers to buy locally produced meat,” Senator Paul said. Under current law, the custom slaughter of animals is exempt from federal inspection regulations only if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, or employee use. That means in order to sell individual cuts of locally-raised meats, farmers and ranchers must first send their animals to one of a limited number of state or USDA-inspected slaughterhouses, which are sometimes hundreds of miles away, adding substantially to transportation costs and stress on the animals. According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, there are five USDA-inspected and eight state-inspected meat processors in Maine. The PRIME Act would provide states with the option to develop and implement reg… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-scrutinizes-255-billion-federal-debt-interest-payments-costing-us-citizens-800/ Sen. Rand Paul Scrutinizes the $255 Billion in Federal Debt Interest Payments Costing U.S. Citizens $800 Each 2016-03-07 2016 2016-03 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 of ‘The Waste Report’ scrutinizes the federal government’s $255 billion federal debt interest payment, which costs every American individually $800 dollars, just this year. The staggering amount of interest payments alone could fund Congress, the Federal Court System, and over 11 major government departments and agencies, but instead it buys absolutely nothing. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. You probably have heard about the $19 trillion balance on the federal government’s credit card and maybe even know your share is just over $60,000. However, you may not know about the interest on that debt. This year alone interest payments will be around $255 billion, which comes out to about $800 for each American alive today.[1] The President’s budget anticipates $303 billion in interest next year, raising your share to $938, an increase of $148.[2] It is worth noting what we could be doing with that money. Our $255 billion interest payment this year COULD have been used to fund the Departments of: Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, the EPA, NASA, NSF, the Small Business Administration, Congress and the U.S. Federal Courts – COMBINED.[3] Some think that perpetual deficits, and the debt they create, do not matter. John Maynard Keynes famously said, “[t]he long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead.”[4] But even if we can perpetually put off paying for what we borrow, we cannot outlive or otherwise avoid paying interest. It is not due in the far off future, it is due right now, and will be due tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, and it will never go away until the debt is paid off entirely. It is not left to our kids and grandkids; it is a burden, here, today. Worse still, intere… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:47:03Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-16-million-federal-grant-flawed-dc-streetcar/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights $1.6 Million Federal Grant to Flawed D.C. Streetcar 2016-02-29 2016 2016-02 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 highlights the federal government awarding the D.C. streetcar $1.6 million in grants to help facilitate the expansion of the initial line. However, during the time the grants were given, the D.C. streetcar’s initial leg of the project was already showing glaring signs of trouble and experiencing unprecedented delays. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Last week the District of Columbia finally opened its calamitous streetcar to the public, years behind schedule and at a cost of $200 million.[1] Thankfully, ådespite repeated attempts to get federal funds, the D.C. streetcar was built without federal taxpayer assistance. But not to worry, with this kind of boondoggle right in the federal government’s back yard, Uncle Sam still found a way to waste your tax dollars. D.C.’s District Department of Transportation was unsuccessful in getting federal dollars for the 2.2 mile line – of a whopping 37 mile plan – that opened last week, however, they did receive about $1.6 million from Uncle Sam to study expansion of the line in either direction. What makes this even more mindboggling is that the federal government awarded these grants in 2010 and 2012, when just the initial leg of the system had glaring signs of trouble.[2] Only the federal government would shy away from investing in a troubled venture, while at the same time providing funding to help expand the same troubled venture. Lest you think it was two separate arms of the behemoth federal government not knowing what the other was doing, it was not. The same U.S. Department of Transportation that said “no” with one hand was cutting checks with the other. While streetcars are the current transportation fad, one must wonder why D.C. needs one in the first place. Some cities that lack rail transit systems have turned to streetcars, but D.C.’… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-joint-resolution-disapproval-halt-arms-sales-pakistan/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Joint Resolution of Disapproval to Halt Arms Sales to Pakistan 2016-02-25 2016 2016-02 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.J.Res.31, a joint resolution of disapproval to halt U.S. arms sales to the government of Pakistan. The joint resolution of disapproval, if passed, would stop the sale of 8 F-16s and additional technical gear to the Pakistani government. “The U.S. and Pakistani relationship has been a troubled one. Though the government of Pakistan has been considered America’s ally in the fight on terrorism, Pakistan’s behavior would suggest otherwise. While we give them billions of dollars in aid, we are simultaneously aware of their intelligence and military apparatus assisting the Afghan Taliban,” said Sen. Paul. “In addition to Pakistan’s duplicitous nature, it also has a deplorable human rights record. Pakistan often isolates and unjustly jails religious minorities and Christians to include Pakistani Christian Asa Bibi. Only after an international outcry did Pakistan commutes Asa Bibi’s death sentence. In addition to Pakistan’s support of terrorism and deplorable human rights record, it continues to imprison Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped the U.S. locate and kill Osama Bin Laden,” Sen. Paul continued. Click HERE to read the joint resolution of disapproval in its entirety. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-fort-knox-energy-security-act-amendment-senate-energy-bill/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “Fort Knox Energy Security Act” Amendment to Senate Energy Bill 2016-02-24 2016 2016-02 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 the Fort Knox Energy Security Act as an amendment to S.2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016. The legislation would specifically allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to continue producing natural gas at Fort Knox in Kentucky, which ultimately would enable Fort Knox to become the only military installation capable of self-sustainment in the country. Sen. Paul previously introduced the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in June 2015. For the past 20 years, Fort Knox has worked to become the first military installation to provide their own power, heat, gas, water, and wastewater elimination all from on-post resources. In May 2015, Fort Knox successfully demonstrated their ability to fully operate without outside power assistance. However, if authority is not given, the investments Fort Knox has made to become self-sustainable will cease and energy costs for the DOD will increase. “While the development of natural gas resources underlying federal lands is generally the responsibility of the Department of the Interior, the 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. Click HERE to read the text of the Fort Knox Energy Security Act in its entirety. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-issues-letters-budget-committee-offering-waste-report-fy2017-budget/ Sen. Rand Paul Issues Letters to Budget Committee Offering ‘The Waste Report’ to FY2017 Budget 2016-02-23 2016 2016-02 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and author of ‘The Waste Report,’ Senator Rand Paul yesterday sent a letter to the Chairman of the Budget Committee Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) seeking to include and consider his findings of $1.12 billion of wasteful spending from ‘The Waste Report’ in the FY2017 budget. Over Sen. Paul’s past five years serving in the Senate, the Senator has returned $2.4 million to the U.S. Treasury from money that was unspent from his official operating budget. As a champion of the taxpayers who has led by example, Sen. Paul has also shown it is possible to balance the budget by putting forth a five-year balanced budget plan. The full text of the letter can be found HERE or below. LETTER TEXT Dear Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Sanders: As Chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee I am charged with examining all federal expenditures and protecting taxpayers from waste. In that capacity and pursuant to Section 301 (d) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974, this letter sets forth my views and estimates of the President’s budget and current fiscal situation of the United States and I ask for your consideration and inclusion in the FY 2017 budget. The Federal Government has racked up over $19 trillion in federal debt, over 100 percent of our nation’s Gross Domestic Product. That comes out to over $60,000 per person alive today. Some believe we never have to pay this, that we can simply outlive and inflate away our debt burden. I do not share that view, but even those who do cannot ignore our interest burden. President Obama’s budget assumes $303 billion in interest payments next year. That is almost $1,000 per person (including children) that must be paid this year and even more next year. We must balance our budget and begin paying down our debt. Our problems are real and cannot be i… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-questions-sec-john-kerry-foreign-relations-committee-fy2017-state-department/ Sen. Rand Paul Questions Sec. John Kerry at Foreign Relation’s Committee on FY2017 State Department Budget 2016-02-23 2016 2016-02 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 FY2017 State Department Budget request. During the hearing, Sen. Paul emphasized the need to cut wasteful, frivolous spending from the budget, while maintaining a strong national defense. Additionally, Sen. Paul questioned Sec. Kerry on President Obama’s failed foreign policy in Syria. A video of the exchange can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL REMARKS AT SFRC HEARING ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-doj-subsidizing-54-million-temporary-travel-spanning-more-year/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights DOJ Subsidizing $54 Million on “Temporary Travel” Spanning for More than a Year in Latest Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ 2016-02-22 2016 2016-02 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 highlights the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) subsidizing over a year’s worth of food and lodging for employees to “temporarily travel”, instead of moving to the new location for work. With 60 instances of temporary assignments spanning for more than 2 years, including one temporary assignment that lasted for 12 years, the DOJ has cost the taxpayer over $54 million dollars. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. When a federal employee travels on official business, the government pays the cost of meals and lodging for that worker – within certain limitations. Which sounds reasonable, until you learn that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has spent at least $54 million on expenses for employees who have been on “temporary travel” for one year or more.[1] After 90 days on assignment at one location an employee goes on Extended Temporary Duty (ETDY), which it is actually supposed to save money by reducing lodging and meal allowances by 25 percent. [2] However, the DOJ Inspector General’s (IG) looked at the ETDY program at the DOJ and what they found was abuse and absurdity. The IG identified 60 instances where temporary assignments lasted more than 2 years, including one assignment that lasted 6 years and another for 12 years. In another instance, the IG found that a married couple both working for the DOJ relocated to Washington, D.C. One spouse transferred and received relocation assistance while the other received ETDY compensation.[3] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alone accounts for 95 percent of all DOJ employees on ETDY. Why so many? Out investigating crimes in remote locations? Not quite, the ETDYs at the FBI are almost entirely due to the Headquarters Staffing Initiative (HIS), which allows employees from across the country to do an 18-month rotation at FBI Headquarter… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-issues-letters-urging-speedy-and-thorough-investigation-cincinnati-va-hospital/ Sen. Rand Paul Issues Letters Urging Speedy and Thorough Investigation at Cincinnati VA Hospital 2016-02-19 2016 2016-02 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 three separate letters today to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the VA Office of Inspector General, and the VA Office of the Medical Inspector urging the officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the reports of mismanagement and negligence at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Sen. Paul believes our nation’s veterans deserve the utmost care and attention, and will continue to monitor the situation until the issue is resolved. “Reports of mistreatment of veterans and misconduct by officials at the VA hospital in Cincinnati are disturbing and must be thoroughly investigated. I am monitoring this situation closely, and I urge the Inspector General and VA to complete their investigations swiftly and take decisive action on the findings,” Sen. Paul said. The full text of the letters can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE. ### 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-30000-nsf-study-ugandan-sports-gambling-latest-edition-waste-report/ Sen. Rand Paul Highlights $30,000 NSF Study on Ugandan Sports Gambling in Latest Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ 2016-02-16 2016 2016-02 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights a $30,000 study, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), that researched the prevalence of entrepreneurs, in the country of Uganda, seeking to generate revenue for their business through sports betting. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Every year, it is estimated that sports betting generates as much as a $1 trillion in revenue worldwide.[1] Maybe you have even put a few dollars down on a game yourself, but even if that is not the case, the federal government is using $30,000 of your taxes to bet on a study of Ugandan gambling practices.[2] The study, being conducted out of the University of California-Berkeley and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is part of a doctoral dissertation – a student’s research – aimed at exploring the prevalent practice among Ugandan entrepreneurs seeking business capital through sports betting. It is hard to see what benefit the U.S. taxpayer gets out of funding research on Ugandan gambling, but the study, and NSF’s funding of it, seems all the more ridiculous when we consider why small business owners are betting in the first place.February 16/ RADCLIFF TOWN HALL ing lgng practices. ing in oundation (NSF) e Begley of WANV, Brian O’ Earlier research found that nearly half of men in the “informal” sector participate in sports betting, which is legal in Uganda,[3] and this study seeks to build on that by exploring the effects gambling has on business. Of course, “informal sector” is a nice way to say black market. In fact, nearly 60 percent of the entire Ugandan non-farm workforce is employed in the black market.[4] Given that banks are generally hesitant to make loans to unlicensed businesses, it should not be a surprise to anyone that these entrepreneurs are seeking financing through non-traditional means. More than that,… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-calls-end-presidents-abuse-sanction-waivers/ Sen. Rand Paul Calls to End the President’s Abuse of Sanction Waivers 2016-02-11 2016 2016-02 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 yesterday, Senator Rand Paul introduced amendment #3301 to the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement bill, which calls to end abuse of sanction waivers by the President. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: For some time now, power has been gravitating from the Legislature to the President. Many in Congress, including myself, have been critical of the President’s Executive overreach. However, Congress bears some of the responsibility and bears some of the blame in that this body continues to abdicate and transfer its power to the President. Nowhere is this more obvious than in foreign policy. During the debate over the Iranian agreement to end sanctions, many congressional voices lamented that these sanctions were enacted by Congress and should not be unilaterally ended by the President without congressional approval. As many observers, though, noted Congress has only itself to blame. For decades now, Congress has granted the President national security waivers to just about anything. These allow the Executive to do what they want, to terminate sanctions, or continue spending without any new vote of Congress. A good example was when Egypt was overtaken by a military regime. This was not a democratic government. This became a military junta. Our laws on foreign aid said that Egypt should no longer receive foreign aid if they are not a democratically elected government. And yet the President continues to give foreign aid to Egypt because he simply uses a waiver that we wrote into the legislation. This is a mistake to continue to grant so much power to the presidency, and as we’ve done so we’ve abdicated our own power. For decades now Congress has granted the President national security waivers on just about everything. The waivers are so flimsy and so open-ended, as that all he has to do is write a report and claim that it affects national security, and he can do whatever he wants. … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-statement-supreme-court-ruling-epa-regulations/ Sen. Rand Paul Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on EPA Regulations 2016-02-10 2016 2016-02 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 following statement applauding the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily halt President Obama’s regulations on the coal industry: “It is encouraging that the Supreme Court halted one of President Obama’s most destructive anti-coal rules, which would be devastating to Kentucky’s coal industry and our nation as a whole. This is good news and hopefully will lead to a permanent stop on this regulation. It also underscores the need to pass the REINS Act that I introduced last year, which would require all major regulations, just like this one, to come before Congress for a vote and would certainly allow Congress to stop them,” Sen. Paul said. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-fort-knox-energy-security-act/ Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Fort Knox Energy Security Act 2016-02-09 2016 2016-02 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 S.2523, the Fort Knox Energy Security Act. The legislation would specifically allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to continue producing natural gas at Fort Knox in Kentucky, which ultimately would enable Fort Knox to become the only military installation capable of self-sustainment in the country. Sen. Paul previously introduced the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in June 2015. For the past 20 years, Fort Knox has become the first military installation to provide their own power, heat, gas, water, and wastewater elimination all from on-post resources. In May 2015, Fort Knox successfully demonstrated their ability to fully operate without outside assistance. However, if authority is not given, the investments Fort Knox has made to become self-sustainable will cease and energy costs for the DOD will increase. “While the development of natural gas resources underlying federal lands is generally the responsibility of the Department of the Interior, the Fort Knox Energy Security Act 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. Earlier this month, Sen. Paul and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter expressing their concern for any effort by the Obama administration to further reduce Army end strength, which could impact the military installations in Kentucky, including Fort Knox. Sens. Paul and McConnell sent two previous letters to 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 Knox and Fort Campbell community listening sessions and spoke in f… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-nsf-funded-romance-research-project-costing-taxpayers-25-million-latest/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers NSF Funded Romance Research Project Costing Taxpayers $2.5 Million in Latest Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ 2016-02-08 2016 2016-02 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 latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the latest edition calls attention to a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study that looked at speed dating to determine how to have the perfect first date – all costing the taxpayer as much as $2.5 million. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. This Sunday is Valentine’s Day, when old soldiers of the love wars will be buying flowers and going to dinner celebrating their affinity for each other. Perhaps for you Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to find new love; and if you’re nervous and unsure about talking to a love interest, not to worry, Uncle Sam has some tips for you… and you paid for them. That’s right!!! The National Science Foundation (NSF) helped fund a 2013 Stanford University study, Making the Connection: Social Bonding in Courtship Situations. According to one of the researchers, “We wanted to see if there is anything about the interaction that matters or is it really just what I look like, what I do, what my motivation is.”[1] Considering online dating is a $2 billion industry, it seems like Uncle Sam should leave this subject to experts like eHarmony.[2] And, maybe they meant to. The study cites three NSF grants, which contributed to this project, totaled a whopping $2.5 million.[3] As absurd as it is for tax dollars to go to finance a study of how to “click” with someone of the opposite sex, we do not even know how much of this money found its way to romance research, but it certainly does not seem to have been the intended use of your tax dollars. None of NSF’s grant synopses make any mention of romance or dating. One grant was aimed at discovering how “ideas are created and propagated through scientific communities, how these communities are formed and change over time, and how multidisciplinary networks spanning these communities shape scientific innov… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-statement-more-coal-job-losses-kentucky/ Sen. Rand Paul Statement on More Coal Job Losses in Kentucky 2016-02-01 2016 2016-02 Republican Senate KY Rand Paul P000603 www.paul.senate.gov paul https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ scraper BOWLING GREEN, KY – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the following statement on the Kentucky Quarterly Coal report just released by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. The report details a record low in coal mine employment, with 3218 jobs lost in 2015 alone – a nearly 28% decrease from 2014. You can view the report HERE. “President Obama and his Environmental Protection Agency have been dead set on destroying Kentucky’s coal industry at any and all costs, and our Commonwealth is continuing to suffer as a result. They have continued to impose outrageous and suffocating regulations upon one of Kentucky’s most important industries while ignoring the negative consequences for our coal miners and their families. I have tirelessly fought against Obama’s liberal, job-killing War on Coal, and I will continue to do so while proposing new solutions like Economic Freedom Zones to help these struggling coal communities,” Sen. Paul said. No related posts. 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-federally-funded-study-e-mail-response-patterns-latest-waste-report/ Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers Federally Funded Study on E-mail Response Patterns in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ 2016-02-01 2016 2016-02 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 uncovers the federal government spending an untold amount of taxpayer dollars to research how individuals respond to e-mail communication. Funding for this research was cobbled together from multiple million dollar grants that do not appear to have ever been intended to go to this research. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. From transacting business, to making social plans, to sharing information, e-mail has become a fast and convenient way to communicate. Sometimes, e-mails get ignored. What should not be ignored is that the federal government spent taxpayer money to study people’s e-mail response habits. A new federally-funded study out of the University of Southern California (USC) identified all sorts of trends in how people respond to e-mail communication, including 90% of replies come within two days, while almost half come within an hour of being received. People respond fastest from their phone, but those e-mails are often short. Men reply slightly faster than women, and the older you are the longer it takes to reply to an e-mail.[1] While all of this is fascinating information, the question remains, why is funding this in the taxpayers’ interest? In fact, it is not clear how much funding this project even got or if it was the intent of the federal government do this research in the first place. The problem is this is a downstream project, funded by cobbling together money from several large federal grants. The study cites three federal funding sources: the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Air Force Office of Strategic Research (ADOSR). But the grant numbers cited are large, $6.1 million from DARPA and over $2 million from ADOSR[2], and generically about human cognitive and social media behaviors. ADOSR’s grant did … 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-04-08T20:44:24Z

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