rand paul

Senator Rand Paul Defends Apple Against Tax Evasion Charges

Phillip M. Bailey — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:04 +0000

Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky blasted Democratic lawmakers for calling on Apple Inc.'s chief executive to testify over moving assets offshore to avoid taxes.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was called to testify before a Senate panel on Tuesday over claims the technology company is exploiting loopholes to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes.

A report compiled by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found Apple is holding around $102 billion of its $145 billion in profits overseas while using technicalities to avoid any levies.

In Wake of Boston Bombings, Senator Rand Paul Wants to Delay Immigration Reform

Phillip M. Bailey — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:55:23 +0000

In a letter to the Senate majority leader, Republican Rand Paul says national security questions surrounding the Boston bombings need to be addressed before Congress deals with comprehensive immigration reform.

The terror attacks at the Boston Marathon last week were allegedly perpetrated by the Tsarnaev brothers, who are ethnic Chechens and immigrated to the U.S. a decade ago.

For some that is reason to be cautious on who the country is allowing in as lawmakers deliberate overhauling the immigration system. Others argue conservatives are only seizing on their ethnicity of the accused bombers to stoke nativist fears and derail reforms.

Paul is urging Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to incorporate various national security concerns first and is openly asking if systemic failures allowed the two men to enter the U.S. without further background checks.

From Paul's office:

The facts emerging in the Boston Marathon bombing have exposed a weakness in our current system. If we don't use this debate as an opportunity to fix flaws in our current system, flaws made even more evident last week, then we will not be doing our jobs.

Jennifer Lawrence, Rand Paul Among Time's 'Most Influential'

Joseph Lord — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:37:33 +0000

Time magazine has issued its 100 "most influential people in the world" with two Kentuckians on the list.

Senator Rand Paul: President Obama Using Gun Victims, Families As 'Props'

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:03:12 +0000

Speaking to reporters at an event organized by the Christian Science Monitor, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., blasted President Obama for using the families of gun violence victims in his push for legislative reforms.

From Huffington Post:

"I think gun control is a legitimate issue for us to debate," Paul said. "I hate to see using people, I think, as props and politicizing people's tragedy. When I see the father and the mothers and them testifying - and I know they're coming voluntarily, and they want to come and be part of this debate - but it still saddens me just to see them, and I think that in some cases the president has used them as props. And that disappoints me.

The president has reached out to family members of victims from the Newtown massacre in the aftermath.

One mother stood in for Obama during one of his weekly presidential addresses. In that speech Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son was murdered during the shooting spree, pleaded for stricter gun control laws.

Sen. Rand Paul: 'I'm Trying to Figure Out How To Get More Votes'

Devin Katayama — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:51:08 +0000

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is asking Louisville’s African-American community to consider his vote.

Paul spoke to students and faculty members at Simmons College of Kentucky on Friday.

This follows his appearance this week at Howard University in Washington D.C. where Paul tried connecting black history to the Republican Party.

DC Vote to Wage Protest Against Senator Rand Paul Ahead of Howard University Speech

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:15:00 +0000

A group seeking full voting representation for Washington, D.C. residents in Congress is holding a demonstration ahead of Republican Senator Rand Paul's speech at Howard University, calling the Tea Party favorite a hypocrite.

The address is being promoted as an attempt by Kentucky's junior senator—and presidential hopeful—to reach out to African-American voters. A handful of black leaders in Louisville have said that's a good sign given Paul's rising prominence in national politics.

But DC Vote is once again calling out Paul's libertarian and small-government message, comparing it to his obstruction of the D.C. Budget Autonomy Act last year.

In 2012, the mayor of D.C. and others urged lawmakers to approve the measure to give local residents the authority to spend tax dollars without Congressional oversight. Paul introduced several amendments to the bill, however, which sought to change the city’s gun, abortion and labor laws.

From DC Vote:

Think about that for a moment: Rand Paul, of all people, used a DC budget autonomy bill that would allow D.C. to spend money it raises from its own population so he can impose his causes on people that have no vote in Congress.

Rand Paul Reaching Out to Black Voters Receives Praise from Local Leaders

Phillip M. Bailey — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:01:20 +0000

Republican Senator Rand Paul will speak at one of the country’s oldest historically black colleges as he seeks to reach out to African-American voters, and some Louisville leaders say that's a good sign.

Paul is scheduled to address students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. next Wednesday where Kentucky's junior senator is expected to talk about school choice and changing federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

The senator’s remarks will also focus on how the GOP and black history intertwine, and marks another sign Paul is earnest in his attempts to seek out minorities ahead of his potential presidential bid.

"It's important that the Republican Party to talk to everybody," says Paul spokesman Dan Bayens. "And I'm not sure that we've been doing that, especially recently. No matter who the group is let's go and have a conversation with them."

Paul is becoming a force in the GOP that has rocked the establishment of both parties in an unexpected way. National polls show Paul is at the top rumored 2016 Republican presidential candidates, coming in at either second in the still too early to predict GOP primary field.

Polls Show Rand Paul Gaining Strength for 2016 After Filibuster, Policy Speeches

Kenny Colston — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:38:39 +0000

Two national polls released this week show Kentucky Senator Rand Paul neck and neck with many other potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates.

Both Quinnipiac and Public Policy Polling released surveys Wednesday showing Paul in second or third place in the early GOP primary field.

Paul clocks in at 15 percent in the Quinnipiac poll, behind former vice presidential nominee and Congressman Paul Ryan at 17 percent, and fellow Republican Senator Marco Rubio at 19 percent.

The PPP survey has Paul making a bigger leap since their previous presidential poll. Paul has 17 percent of primary voters in the PPP poll, with Rubio at 21 percent.

Senator Rand Paul Calls for New GOP at CPAC

Phillip M. Bailey — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:03:25 +0000

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said the GOP has "grown stale and moss covered" and needs to embrace libertarianism.

"The new GOP will need to embrace liberty in both the economic and the personal sphere. If we're going to have a Republican Party that can win, liberty needs to be the backbone of the GOP," he said.

For many conservatives, Paul's nearly 13-hour filibuster of CIA director John Brennan in protest of President Obama's drone policies puts him at the head of the line for presidential contenders in 2016.

The high-profiled speech gave Paul a chance to court the so-called "Facebook generation" on privacy matters, and explain why he favors limits on presidential power.

Paul's remarks also gave him a chance to rebuke GOP rival and fellow Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who right before Paul's speech said the party didn't need new ideas.

Watch the full speech:

Watch Rand Paul's Filibuster. All 13 Hours of It.

Joseph Lord — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:01:50 +0000

Ending early Thursday morning, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul filibustered the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director for nearly 13 hours.