Senator Rand Paul delays a vote for Iron Dome replenishment

• Published date: 05 October 2021
• Author: OMRI NAHMIAS
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

In recent days, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Christian United For Israel (CUFI) both pressed Paul to support the bill. Paul on Thursday revealed himself to be the single senator refusing to "hotline" the bill now that it has been approved by the US House of Representatives.

"Hotlining" is when all 100 senators agree to allow a bill to go straight to the floor for a vote, substantially accelerating the approval process.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

>

Paul is one of the most outspoken opponents of foreign assistance, and for a period a few years ago proposed eliminating assistance to Israel. Now, a spokesperson for Paul told Politico that Paul will drop his objection to the Iron Dome hotlining if the $1 billion comes from proposed assistance to Afghanistan.

The debate started when Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) introduced the motion to fast track the bill and asked the Senate for unanimous consent.

"There is no conceivable reason why anyone in this chamber on either side of the aisle should stand in the way of US support for this lifesaving defense to be fully ready for the next attack," said Menendez. "I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join the House of Representatives in passing this funding on a broadly bipartisan effort."

Senator Paul objected to the motion and said that while he supports the Iron Dome, he thinks "it should be paid for."

"I think the American taxpayer dollars that pay for it should come from money that could go to the Taliban," said Paul. He suggested taking the funds from some $6 billion in it that was designated for the Afghan government. "That money, I think, could be spent on the Taliban, if we do not rescind that money."

"The justification for my proposal for paying this is simple," he continued. "Only an economically strong United States can be a militarily strong ally of Israel. I support Israel; I've voted for hundreds of millions of dollars to support Iron Dome. I'm glad the United States has a strong bond with Israel, but the United States cannot give money it does not have no matter how strong our relationship is. The United States is approaching $30 trillion in debt. Our out-of-control spending added 3 trillion [dollars] to the debt just in this fiscal year."

Menendez rejected Paul's amendment and clarified he opposes it. "This amendment would slash refugee...