Fwd: This Week in News for Senator Rand Paul - July 20, 2018

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From: U.S. Senator Rand Paul

 

Dear Friend, You can find out the latest about my week in Kentucky and on Capitol Hill below!  Dr. Rand Paul Visits Louisville On Monday morning, I had the opportunity to spend time speaking with community members and business leaders in Louisville about our economy, the federal government's attacks on your Fourth Amendment rights, what lies ahead on trade, and other pressing issues in Washington.  In addition to answering audience questions, I also spoke with local media outlets after the forum.  (Dr. Paul Speaks to Business and Community Leaders in Louisville - July 16, 2018) Dr. Rand Paul: "Trump Is Right to Meet Putin" With President Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, I applauded his decision to keep the lines of communication open with Russia in my latest piece for Politico. "Politicizing international affairs is a dangerous game," I observed, "but that hasn't stopped far too many in Washington, who seem to have forgotten that a vital part of keeping America safe and secure is avoiding war through strong and consistent diplomacy, from playing politics.  One way they do this is to insist we not meet with or speak openly to our adversaries on the world stage. "I disagree," I continued.  "Dialogue is especially important when hundreds of millions of lives are at stake, as is the case in relations between the United States and nuclear-armed Russia." I also pointed out that, historically, "both sides maintained constant dialogue and communications" - including while the Cold War was at its height and even during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The hysteria of the past couple years has had an impact many have missed, with the hostile climate leading to "a vacuum in cultural, educational, and even legislative exchanges, while elected officials from both Washington and Moscow are now on so-called 'ban lists.'"  Ultimately, I believe that nothing will be achieved if each country closes the door on the other. To be clear, I noted that "[o]f course, we don't have to make decisions based on whether they will or will not make Russia mad.  But we should at the very least recognize the impact of our actions before we take them." We don't have to consider Russia our friend, I went on to say, but we do have common interests, such as Syria and combating terrorism, that require us to maintain an open dialogue.  You can read my entire op-ed HERE. Dr. Rand Paul: Continuing to Work for Peace I also talked about President Trump's trip and outreach in my latest video update this week, where I said that "Trump haters and hawks from both sides of the aisle were quick to denounce the president's actions, but I for one am glad he went."   "The world is too dangerous to threaten war over hacked emails," I continued, "and it is too dangerous to choose isolation when confronted with the challenges to our relations and to world peace." I also strongly agreed with President Trump's statement that he "would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk peace in pursuit of politics."  You can watch my update video HERE. Yesterday, I continued speaking out by objecting to an amendment offered by Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) that would have further broken down diplomatic communications with Russia.   In a short speech on the Senate floor, I responded to the effort by saying, "Trump Derangement Syndrome has officially come to the Senate.  The hatred for the president is so intense that partisans would rather risk war than give diplomacy a chance." Nobody is excusing Russia's meddling in our elections, and we should stand firm and protect the integrity of our elections, but we must also maintain open channels of discussion.  You can watch my speech HERE. (Dr. Paul Stands up for Diplomacy and Peace on the Senate Floor - July 19, 2018) Dr. Rand Paul Asks Why U.S. Taxpayers Are Paying for Pakistani Kids to go to Space Camp and Dollywood As I continue working to make sure the American people know what their government is doing with their money, I recently sat down with Sinclair Broadcast Group's Kristine Frazao to discuss the U.S. State Department spending $250,000 of taxpayer funds to send 24 Pakistani kids on a trip to the U.S. that included multiple days at Space Camp and stops at Dollywood and Washington, D.C. "I think we have so many problems here at home that we need to address before we think about spending money on somebody else's kids," I pointed out in the interview. You can learn more about this misuse of taxpayer funds HERE. Media Wrap-Up This week, I appeared on Fox News' Fox & Friends Weekend, Your World with Neil Cavuto, The Story with Martha MacCallum, America's Newsroom, and Tucker Carlson Tonight (you can find my appearance on Wednesday night HERE and Thursday night HERE); CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer; CBS' CBS This Morning; and PBS' PBS Newshour. I also talked with outlets including the AP, Politico, and ABC News, and I spoke with radio hosts Tom Roten, Chad Young, Bill Cunningham, Chris Ryan, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity. Have an Issue or Concern? If you are a Kentucky resident and need assistance with a federal agency, please feel free to contact my Bowling Green office at 270-782-8303.  One of my staff members will be more than happy to assist you. Stay in Touch with Dr. Paul on Social Media You can stay up to date on my latest news and activities by visiting my Senate website, www.paul.senate.gov, or my official Facebook and Twitter pages.  You can watch my Senate floor speeches and press interviews at my YouTube channel HERE. Warm Regards, Bowling Green 1029 State Street Bowling Green, KY 42101 Phone: 270-782-8303 Washington, DC 167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 Phone: 202-224-4343