During a filibuster Monday night against proposed foreign aid deals to Ukraine and other countries, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) took a stand that would have made Jefferson Smith, the protagonist of the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, proud. With billions of dollars in taxpayer money at stake, Paul spoke for an hour, valiantly arguing against giving money to foreign countries instead of first using it for citizens in this country.
“This bill is Ukraine first, and America last,” Paul said during his 60-minute speech on Monday night. “I think the American people agree with me. We spent five days filibustering this, and I know we will lose sometime tonight. We can each speak for an hour. I think we will get to 2 or 3 in the morning.”
“So we can hold them off, we can draw attention to this, but this is about winning America. This isn’t about winning this vote. It’s about showing America that we care about your sovereignty, we care about your tax dollars, and we think that the priority should be here. The priority should be our border.”
And this is the crux of the issue surrounding giving aid to Ukraine. Whether Ukraine falls or survives, it will not affect national security, despite what many politicians say. Putin isn’t going to target Poland next, as many politicians, pundits, and influencers have claimed. That’s irresponsible rhetorical propaganda that is not at all grounded in reality. This issue should primarily be considered Europe’s problem, not the United States’s.
However, enough is enough. The country has given billions of dollars in taxpayer money to fund a war that is not ours. Legislators have claimed we can help fund Ukraine and take care of Americans. Yet that is not realistic. And given the nation’s enormous national debt and deficit, Americans deserve priority over Ukrainians. Take care of the people in this country first before eagerly helping others while there are still Americans suffering.
I am very sympathetic to all that the Ukrainians had to endure. This is unquestionably true. Personally, I have even held fundraisers for Ukrainian refugees displaced and living in the Philadelphia area. But while I am sympathetic to Ukrainians who have suffered, I am more sympathetic to my fellow Americans who will not be able to reap the benefits of billions of dollars in taxpayer money.
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I am sympathetic to the Americans who are homeless. I am sympathetic to the Americans who have to send their children to failing schools that cannot teach them rudimentary math, English, and science so they can achieve basic proficiency in these subjects.
Paul knows this. So should every other American who is encouraging and supporting this aid.