Rand Paul in Fox News 2015 GOP primary debate


On Budget & Economy: Borrowing a million a minute has gotta stop somewhere

I'm the only one on the stage who actually has a five-year budget that balances. I've put pencil to paper and I've said I would cut spending, and I've said exactly where. Each one of my budgets has taken a meat axe to foreign aid. We shouldn't borrow money from China to send it anywhere. Out of your surplus, you can help your allies, but we cannot give away money we don't have. We do not project power from bankruptcy court. We're borrowing a million dollars a minute. It's got to stop somewhere.
Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On Civil Rights: Resist government imposing religious views of marriage

Q: In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage, what will you do to ensure Christians are not prosecuted for speaking out against gay marriage? Will Christians be forced to conduct business that conflicts with their religious beliefs?

PAUL: Look, I don't want my marriage or my guns registered in Washington. And if people have an opinion, it's a religious opinion that is heartly felt, obviously they should be allowed to practice that and no government should interfere with them. One of the things that really got to me was the thing in Houston where you had the government, the mayor actually, trying to get the sermons of ministers. When the government tries to invade the church to enforce its own opinion on marriage, that's when it's time to resist.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On Foreign Policy: Quit sending aid to countries who hate us

Q: The first budget your proposed as senator cut all financial aid to Israel. You have since changed your view on that issue. What made you change your mind?

PAUL: I've said I would cut spending, and I've said exactly where. Each one of my budgets has taken a meat axe to foreign aid, because I think we ought to quit sending it to countries that hate us. I think we ought to quit sending it to countries that burn our flag. Israel is not one of those. But even Benjamin Netanyahu said that ultimately, they will be stronger when they're independent. My position is exactly the same. We shouldn't borrow money from China to send it anywhere, but why don't we start with eliminating aid to our enemies.

Q: OK, but you still say that Israel could be one of the countries that is cut from financial aid?

PAUL: Out of your surplus, you can help your allies, and Israel is a great ally. And this is no particular animus of Israel, but we cannot give away money we don't have.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On Health Care: GOP has been fighting single-payer for a decade

Q [to Donald Trump]: 15 years ago, you were for a single-payer system, a Canadian-style system.

TRUMP: As far as single payer, it works in Canada. It works incredibly well in Scotland. It could have worked in a different age. What I'd like to see is a private system without the artificial lines around every state.

PAUL: I've got a news flash: the Republican Party's been fighting against a single-payer system for a decade. So I think you're on the wrong side of this if you're still arguing for a single-payer system.

TRUMP: I don't think you heard me. You're having a hard time tonight.

Q: Mr. Trump, it's not just your past support for single-payer health care. You've also supported a host of other liberal policies. Use--you've also donated to several Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton included, Nancy Pelosi.

TRUMP: Most of the people on this stage I've given to, just so you understand, a lot of money.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On Homeland Security: Stop funding & arming allies of ISIS

Q: You recently blamed the rise of ISIS on Republican hawks. You later added, "Everything they've talked about in foreign policy, they've been wrong for the last 20 years." Why are you so quick to blame your own party?

PAUL: First of all, only ISIS is responsible for the terrorism. Only ISIS is responsible for the depravity. But, we do have to examine, how are we going to defeat ISIS? I've got a proposal. I'm the leading voice in America for not arming the allies of ISIS. I've been fighting amidst a lot of opposition from both Hillary Clinton, as well as some Republicans who wanted to send arms to the allies of ISIS. ISIS rides around in a billion dollars worth of US Humvees. It's a disgrace. We shouldn't fund our enemies, for goodness sakes. So, we didn't create ISIS--ISIS created themselves, but we will stop them, and one of the ways we stop them is by not funding them, and not arming them.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On Homeland Security: American Revolution was fought over 4th Amendment rights

Q: [to Gov. Christie]. You've said that Senator Paul should be called before Congress to answer for opposing the bulk collection of people's phone records, if we should be hit by another terrorist attack. Do you really believe you can assign blame to Senator Paul?

CHRISTIE: Yes, I do. We have to give more tools to [the NSA], not fewer, and then trust those people & oversee them to do it the right way.

PAUL: I want to collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans. The Fourth Amendment was what we fought the Revolution over! John Adams said it was the spark that led to our war for independence, and I'm proud of standing for the Bill of Rights, and I will continue to stand for the Bill of Rights.

CHRISTIE: That's a completely ridiculous answer. "More records from terrorists, but less records from other people"--How are you supposed to know?

PAUL: Use the Fourth Amendment! Get a judge to sign the warrant! You fundamentally misunderstand the Bill of Rights

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

On War & Peace: Negotiate with Iran, but from a position of strength

Q [to Gov. Walker]: You've said that you would tear up the Iran deal on day one.

WALKER: You terminate the deal on day one, you put in place even more crippling sanctions..

Q: Senator Paul, would you tear up the deal on day one?

PAUL: I oppose the Iranian deal, and will vote against it. I don't think that the president negotiated from a position of strength, but I don't immediately discount negotiations. I'm a Reagan conservative. Reagan did negotiate with the Soviets. But you have to negotiate from a position of strength, and I think President Obama gave away too much, too early. If there's going to be a negotiation, you're going to have to believe somehow that the Iranians are going to comply. I asked this question to John Kerry, I said "do you believe they're trustworthy?" and he said "No." And I said, "well, how are we gonna get them to comply?" I would have never released the sanctions before there was consistent evidence of compliance.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Top Ten First Tier debate transcript Aug 6, 2015

The above quotations are from Fox News/Facebook Two-Tier 2015 GOP primary debate
First Tier: Top Ten by polls
Second Tier: Seven other Republicans
.
Click here for main summary page.
Click here for a profile of Rand Paul.
Click here for Rand Paul on all issues.
Rand Paul on other issues:
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
Technology/Infrastructure
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)





Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018