en. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is also raising money off his one-man battle against foreign aid spending that he’s used to stall the Senate’s passage of government funding this week.
A favorite among many libertarians and the tea party, Paul has used procedural rules to prevent the Senate from passing a measure that would fund the government for six months.
Paul argues that the United States has been wasting billions trying to influence foreign nations like Libya, Pakistan and Egypt. He argues it’s time to stop, or at least put tough restrictions on the money.
He predicted Friday that his bill would fail because, he says, the Senate is ignoring the will of Americans.
“I will probably lose this vote, but if you ask your friends. If you go home and ask your friends should we be sending money to countries that disrespect us, that burn our flag, I think you will find 80 percent to 90 percent of the American people wouldn’t send another penny,” Paul said Friday. “That may be why Congress has about a 10 percent approval rating.”
But Paul also appears to hope people will want to send a few pennies his way.
In the email sent Thursday by his political action committee, RANDPAC, and signed “In Liberty, Rand Paul,” the Kentuckian asserted that although he had convinced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to put his bill to a vote, “some members of my own party are trying to sabotage the whole thing!”
It looks like some of my Republican colleagues are determined to continue their support for foreign aid — so much so that they are attempting to block a vote from taking place,” Paul wrote.
A vote is scheduled for around midnight Friday.
He went on to recount the recent attacks related to an amateur anti-Muslim film trailer on YouTube, and asked supporters to call GOP senators and voice their support for his bill. He closed by asking for money to help replace the senators who were opposing him.