Paul vs. McConnell

In a scathing critique, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) lambasted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday for his steadfast support of the controversial Plan B foreign aid bill. Paul denounced what he termed McConnell's "outrageous" backing, particularly decrying the bill's removal of crucial border security provisions.

Expressing profound dismay, Paul singled out his Senate colleagues for prioritizing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel over addressing the pressing U.S.-Mexico border crisis. "It’s criminal neglect for Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Biden to get together to send $100 billion overseas to fix someone else’s border before addressing our border," Paul emphasized in a fiery interview with Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow.

Dismissing President Biden's assertion that withholding aid from Ukraine amounted to "neglect," Paul retorted that it was reprehensible to consider funding foreign militaries while ignoring the urgent domestic border situation. Despite Paul's vocal opposition, the bill, stripped of its border provisions by Schumer (D-N.Y.), proceeded in the Senate with a 64-19 vote on Friday evening.

Undeterred by the setback, Paul pledged to halt further progress on the $95.3 billion bill, denouncing it as "rotten" legislation. His actions drew sharp criticism from Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who disparaged Paul as a "peckerhead" for prolonging procedural steps into the Super Bowl weekend to pass the funding package.

Paul reiterated the gravity of the border crisis, emphasizing the influx of 700,000 individuals in the last two months alone. "We have an emergency, we have an invasion," Paul stressed, vowing to continue the fight alongside like-minded senators. Despite the collapse of the bipartisan border security deal, negotiated over months with the involvement of Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Paul remains resolute in his commitment to securing the border before allocating substantial funds overseas.