The emperor has no clothes, but only Senator Rand Paul can see it. In a classic moment on the Senate floor, he demanded that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund actually be paid for. Unsurprisingly, his comment was met only with crocodile tears.
The national debt is over $22 trillion, and $1 trillion is set to be added every year at the current pace, Senator Paul (R-Kentucky) said on Wednesday, as he objected to a motion brought by presidential candidate Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York).
Gillibrand moved to have the Senate pass the 9/11 Victim funding by a voice vote, without any debate or amendment process allowed. The bill already overwhelmingly passed the House, 402-12, last week.
“It has long been my feeling that we need to address our massive debt in this country,” Paul said. “Any new spending that we are approaching, any new program that’s going to have the longevity of 70, 80 years, should be offset by cutting spending that’s less valuable. We need to at the very least have this debate.”
Gillibrand responded with canned sentiments, then she accused Paul of playing “political games.”
Gillibrand won’t have to wait long to claim victory. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has already rushed the bill on the legislative calendar, according to The Hill. Next week it’s expected to pass.
Paul did make a point to say that he would push his own amendment to the bill when that time comes. The senator’s spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper told The Hill, “As with any bill, Senator Paul always believes it needs to be paid for.”
The fund won’t require reauthorization for another 70 years once it passes. Nearly three generations worth of spending. Opponents of Paul’s obstruction argue that the federal government spends a lot more for a lot less everyday. This is a special case, they say. 9/11!
Of course, if it’s so urgent and important, Gillibrand and others could easily find plenty of programs to cut to offset this spending bill.
Worse still are the dishonest attacks against Paul as if he were being hypocritical here. On Twitter, Facebook and comment sections of news articles, Paul is lambasted for having supported tax cuts or golfing with President Trump.
Libertarians know that tax cuts don’t actually cost the government anything. For those who are confused, it’s spending that costs money. Paul has always been for spending cuts, even compromising to the point of cutting just 1 percent per year, though he prefers to slash whole departments.
Paul also made news Wednesday for having gotten the OK from Trump to hold backdoor talks with Iran in order to reach a new nuclear deal. That came about through a golf game with the president.
Paul is getting work done, making progress for peace in the world, and Democrats are outraged. But they’re not angry over taxpayer-funded golf outings. They’re triggered, because Paul is pushing their buttons. He’s won’t let Gillibrand virtue signal, as she pledges future generations to more debt.
Now is the time to watch how Paul’s Republican colleagues treat him for this politically incorrect maneuver. More than likely, McConnell and others will do their best to ignore Paul and continue ignoring the disgraceful debt.
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