Fwd: This Week in News for Senator Rand Paul - October 18, 2019

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From: U.S. Senator Rand Paul 

Dear Friend, You can find my latest update below! Dr. Rand Paul Defends President Trump Removing American Troops from Syrian Civil War, Introduces Legislation to End Arms Sales to Turkey On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to condemn President Trump for withdrawing American troops from northern Syria, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer attempted to pass that resolution in the Senate on Thursday.   So I took to the Senate floor to speak out and block this latest effort to keep America bogged down in endless conflict in the Middle East.    "The Constitution is quite clear," I said in my speech objecting to Senator Schumer's move.  "No authorization has ever been given for the use of force in Syria.  No authorization of declaration of war.  No permission to be there at all.   "So if they want to insert themselves into this civil war, by all means, let's have a debate," I continued.  "Let's have the constitutional debate.  But I, for one, am not willing to send one young man or one young woman -- one soldier -- over there without a clear mission.  There is no clear mission." While their resolution also called on Turkey to end its operation in Syria, among other provisions, even that would have simply been a non-binding statement. After objecting, I proceeded to instead offer my own, binding legislation to indefinitely end arms sales to Turkey.  As I said in introducing my bill, it "would tell the Turks, 'Yes, we are serious.  We object to your incursion into Syria.  You need to respect the territorial integrity of Syria, and we are therefore no longer going to be selling you arms.'"   This would have been a concrete action, without putting our troops in harm's way, that sent a serious rebuke to Turkey, but it was unfortunately opposed.  You can watch my objection to Senator Schumer's attempt to pass the House bill attacking President Trump's decision HERE, and you can find my brief remarks in offering legislation to end arms sales to Turkey HERE. You can also read my (very short) bill HERE. As I have done on foreign policy, spending, and other critical issues since Day 1, I will continue working in the Senate for real solutions that address the challenges we face!  (Dr. Paul Speaks on the Senate Floor - Oct. 17, 2019) Dr. Rand Paul: "President Donald Trump moves to stop 'endless wars.'  I stand with him."  "Iraq.  Afghanistan.  Now Syria.  We hear that our presence could be needed for decades.  To what end?  What do we hope happens during that time?  I, for one, don't see what our national interest is in policing the Middle East and nation-building.  Thankfully, neither does President Trump," I said Wednesday in an op-ed for USA Today. In the piece, I again applauded the president's decision in Syria, and I noted that it is "refreshing and long-awaited" for a president to make such a decision from the perspective of stopping endless war. You can read my entire op-ed HERE. Dr. Rand Paul on the Passing of U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings On Thursday, I released the following statement regarding the passing of U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings: "Kelley and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Elijah Cummings, and we offer our most sincere condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.  Elijah was a true civil rights advocate with a strong passion for criminal justice reform, which I saw firsthand during our work together on the REDEEM Act to reform expungement laws.  His fight for justice in our communities will forever be a part of his legacy, and today we join the country in honoring and remembering the life of such a dedicated public servant." Dr. Rand Paul's Office Joining with the Taxpayer Advocate Service to Assist Kentuckians with Tax Questions and Issues with Federal Agencies I wanted to remind Kentuckians we have a special event taking place two weeks from today that will help them address issues they may have with federal agencies and the IRS!  On Friday, November 1, my staff will once again partner with the Taxpayer Advocate Service for an outreach event that provides Kentuckians with an opportunity to seek assistance from my office with such federal agencies as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, while Taxpayer Advocates will help with IRS issues such as not receiving a refund, errors on returns, making payment arrangements, federal tax liens, and more. You can find the details below! FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019  WHAT:    Office of U.S. Senator Rand Paul & Taxpayer Advocate Service Outreach Day WHEN:   10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. CT WHERE: WKU Knicely Conference Center                  Room 163 B & C                 2355 Nashville Rd                 Bowling Green, KY 42101 Dr. Rand Paul Meets with Kentuckians On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to speak to and meet with the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), which is headquartered in Paducah, about the current debate over how best to reform our health care system, including my proposal to allow more Americans to join together in groups to obtain lower insurance prices.  (Dr. Paul Speaks to the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians - Oct. 16, 2019) It was great to have another chance to talk about health care on Wednesday with representatives of Pikeville Medical Center, and I also enjoyed meeting with Jim Iacocca, a retired Brigadier General who serves as president and CEO of the Knox Regional Development Alliance, following up on my meeting with that group in Elizabethtown last month.      (Dr. Paul with Pikeville Medical Center and Jim Iacocca - Oct. 16, 2019) In my last newsletter, I reported on my Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee recently holding a field hearing in Morehead on the economic impact of restrictive logging access and timber tariffs.  Today, my office released a quick highlight video that you can watch HERE!  If you haven't seen the full meeting yet, you can find that video HERE. Media Wrap-Up This week, I appeared on shows including NBC's Meet the Press, Fox Business' Mornings with Maria, MSNBC's MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle and Hardball, CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, and Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Ingraham Angle, and The Story with Martha MacCallum. 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 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, and you can sign up to be notified about my telephone townhall events HERE. Warm Regards, Bowling Green1029 State Street Bowling Green, KY 42101 Phone: 270-782-8303 Washington, D.C.167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-4343