Rand Paul in 2015 State of the Union address

On Budget & Economy: We borrow $1M per minute; mandate a balanced budget

I fear that this enormous burden of debt threatens our currency. I fear that another 2008-style panic is possible, and I fear that this degree of debt is an imminent threat to our national security.

You cannot project power from bankruptcy court. It does not make us appear stronger when we borrow money from China and send it to countries that burn our flag.

On Corporations: No safety net cuts until corporate welfare is all cut

Some will ask, "But what of the safety net?" I say: We will not cut one penny from the safety net until we've cut every penny from corporate welfare!

So much of Washington's inability to cut waste in government comes from them not doing their job. It has been several decades since Congress passed all the spending bills individually. Instead, the spending bills are lumped together in something that is thousands of pages long. They allow no amendments to cut wasteful spending. Often the bill is plopped on our desk with only a few hours to review. No one, and I mean no one, is able to read what is in the bill. To fix this, I will introduce legislation called "Read the Bills Act." It mandates that Congress wait one day for each 20 pages of legislation.

On Government Reform: Term limits would infuse Congress with new ideas

There is no monopoly on knowledge in Washington. The best thing that could happen is for us--to once and for all--limit the terms of all politicians. We already limit the President to two terms. I think we should put limits on the terms of Congress and infuse our government with fresh ideas.

On Health Care: Compassion cannot be delivered in the form of coercion

President Obama's fundamental promise that if you like your doctor you can keep them--was a lie. ObamaCare, at its core, takes away a patient's right to choose. Under ObamaCare, patients are prohibited from choosing their doctor or their insurance. Today, more Americans may have medical insurance, but Americans are now paying more money for worse care.

The relationship between doctor and patient is withering. Doctors are fleeing the profession they love. Hospitals are straining, closing, or refusing to accept ObamaCare policies. Everyone knows our health care system needed reforming, but it was the wrong prescription to choose more government instead of more consumer choice and competition. How should we fix our healthcare system? Let's try freedom again. It worked for over 200 years!

On Homeland Security: We've over-militarized our foreign policy

Hillary's war in Libya is a prime example of acting without thinking. In Libya, jihadists swim in our embassy pool, and we are now more at risk from terrorist attacks than ever before.

Unfortunately, both parties too often seek military intervention without thinking through the possible unintended consequences. Many Republicans complain that we didn't send US ground troops or we didn't stay long enough.

The Middle East is in the midst of a 1,000-year war between Sunni and Shia--superimposed on a century-old war pitting a barbaric aberration of Islam against civilized Islam. We are foolish to believe we will solve this puzzle. We must defend vital American interests, but we must not be deluded into believing that we can remake the Middle East in an image of Western Democracy.

On Homeland Security: Military should be second to none; so audit the Pentagon

To defend ourselves, we need a lean, mean fighting machine that doesn't waste money on a bloated civilian bureaucracy. The civilian bureaucracy at the Pentagon has doubled in the past 30 years, gobbling up the money necessary to modernize our defense. That's why I will propose the first ever Audit of the Pentagon, and seek ways to make our defense department more modern and efficient.

On Principles & Values: Politicians should apply medical oath: "First, do no harm"

On Welfare & Poverty: Federal "gifts" don't generate wealth but perpetuate poverty

The war on poverty is 50 years old, and still black unemployment is twice that of white unemployment. Income inequality has worsened under this Administration, and tonight President Obama offers more of the same policies--policies that have allowed the poor to get poorer, and the rich to get richer.

Pitting one American against another is not a pathway towards prosperity. The President is intent on redistributing the pie but not growing it. He misunderstands that the bulk of America wants a bigger pie. They want to work and don't want a handout--but a hand up.

On Welfare & Poverty: Be aware of those who are missing out on American Dream

Although I was born into the America that experiences and believes in opportunity, my trips to Ferguson, Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago have revealed what I call an "undercurrent of unease." There is a tension that has become visible in the protests in every major American city. I think peace will come when those of us who have enjoyed the American Dream become aware of those who are missing out on the American Dream. The future of our country will be secure when we break down the wall that separates us from "the other America."