Rand Paul Slams McCain, Others for Vote to Send ‘Kids to War With no Debate’

On Monday, the United States Senate voted 97-2 to approve admitting Montenegro into NATO, making them another nation the U.S. is responsible for protecting.

Only two Republicans voted against the bill: Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

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Paul delivered a blistering 16-minute speech on the Senate floor just before the vote to express the blow-back associated with adding Montenegro to NATO.

Paul began his public opposition earlier this month, arguing that the U.S. already protects 27 other nations in NATO; adding one more doesn’t have any advantages for the U.S.

He also dispelled that the U.S. does not need to “spend more money on foreign entanglements that will unnecessarily add to the country’s $20 trillion debt.”

Paul’s stance against it brought Sen. John McCain into the mix. McCain, in support of it, called Rand Paul an “ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Paul fired back at McCain by calling the Arizona Republican “unhinged.”

Paul bolstered his stance by pointing out that NATO is an organization primarily upheld by U.S. blood and money:

Today the question is will we add another commitment to defend yet another foreign country? For decades NATO has been an organization where the U.S. disproportionately spends our blood and our treasure. The other NATO countries have largely hitched a ride on a U.S. train that subsidizes their defenses and allows them to direct their revenues to their own domestic concerns.

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“In short … Uncle Sam is the ‘Uncle Patsy’ for the rest of the world.”

Paul’s biggest concern was that this would force the United States into another foreign entanglement. He went on to add that this will leave the U.S. in a position to consider military action against aggressive nations like Russia in the region, noting that Moscow has a penchant for aggressive behavior with bordering nations.

He cited that many of the Senators in favor of adding Montenegro also want to add Georgia and Ukraine, both of which are in border disputes with Russia.

“If those two nations were already in NATO today, we would already be involved in a world war with Russia,” Paul said.

Paul added that because the Senate opted to approve Montenegro’s admission without allowing debate, they are sending our “sons and daughters to fight border disputes” that we shouldn’t be involved with in the first place.

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“You know they’re going to forbid amendments,” Paul began.

“I forced this debate. Nobody wanted to have this debate. They want to rubber stamp, they want no debates, and they want to send your kids to war with no debate. Today, they will pass this on my objection, and they will allow no amendments. When I finish this speech, I will ask for an amendment, and it will be denied because they do not want to debate whether your sons and daughters go to war.”

“I find that appalling,” Paul said, adding, “I am ashamed of a Senate that will not have a debate and will not have a vote [on the amendment].”

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