Rand Paul

Rand Paul

Republican Party

U.S. Senate Kentucky

Tenure

2011 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

13

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

$398,003

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

Brazoswood High School

Bachelor's

None

Medical

Duke University

Personal

Birthplace

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Religion

Christian: Presbyterian

Profession

Ophthalmologist

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Rand Paul (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Kentucky. He assumed office on January 3, 2011. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Paul (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Kentucky. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Paul announced on April 7, 2015, that he would run President of the United States in 2016. He suspended his campaign on February 3, 2016, and instead ran for re-election. Paul was a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Kentucky.

On March 6, 2013, Paul led a filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan, that lasted 12 hours and 52 minutes. In addition to delaying the final vote on Brennan's confirmation, Paul's stated intention was to highlight his concerns about the Obama Administration's drone policies.

As of a 2014 analysis of multiple outside rankings, Paul is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills.

Biography

Paul was born in 1963 in Pittsburgh, PA, and grew up in Lake Jackson, TX. He attended Baylor University, although he did not receive an undergraduate degree. Paul received his M.D. from Duke University Medical School. Prior to his election to the Senate, Paul worked as an ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Paul is the son of former Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Paul's professional and political career:

• 2011-Present: U.S. Senator from Kentucky
• Ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, KY

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2023-2024

Paul was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy
• Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
• Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy
• Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Subcommittee on Children and Families
• Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Ranking Member
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, Ranking Member
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ranking Member

2021-2022

Paul was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Subcommittee On Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, And Counterterrorism
• Subcommittee On Africa And Global Health Policy
• Subcommittee On State Department And USAID Management, International Operations, And Bilateral International Development
• Subcommittee On Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, And International Economic, Energy, And Environmental Policy
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, Ranking member
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ranking member

2019-2020

Paul was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Committee on Foreign Relations

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Paul was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

2015-2016

Paul served on the following Senate committees:

• Foreign Relations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy
  • Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
  • Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism
  • Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
  • Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management Chairman
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

2013-2014

Paul served on the following Senate committees:

• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • The Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs
  • The Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues Ranking Member
  • The Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection, and Peace Corps
  • The Subcommittee on African Affairs
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  • Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and the District of Columbia
  • Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce
  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

2011-2012

Paul served on the following Senate committees:

• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (87-13)
Nay	Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024   The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (87-11)
Nay	Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act   The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (88-9)
Nay	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (63-36)
Yea	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (68-23)
Yea	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".   H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.	Failed (50-49)
Yea	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-46)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Nay Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (69-30) Nay American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Nay Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (51-50) Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (88-11) Nay James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (83-11) Nay Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (86-11) Nay Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (64-33) Not Voting Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (46-48) Nay Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (68-31) Nay Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (61-36) Nay Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (72-25) Not Voting COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act   The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (S. 937) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 20, 2021, that included provisions to designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes, required the DOJ to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies aimed to establish online hate crime reporting processes and to raise awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines, among other related provisions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (94-1) Nay Postal Service Reform Act of 2022   The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (H.R. 3076) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2022, that sought to address healthcare and retirement benefits for postal workers, allow USPS to provide certain nonpostal products and services, and expand service performance and budgetary reporting. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (79-19) Nay Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (65-33) Nay Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act   The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, that provided for continuing fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3, 2021, in order to prevent a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred if fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills had not been passed by October 1, 2021. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate. Passed (65-35) Not guilty Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Not guilty (57-43) Nay Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022   The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to expand the availability and reporting of information about domestic terrorism, enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to prosecute domestic terrorism, among other things. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (47-47) Nay A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.   This concurrent resolution (S.Con.Res. 14) was a budget resolution passed by the 117th Congress outlining the fiscal year 2022 federal government budget, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023-2031, and providing reconciliation instructions for legislation that increased the deficit. It contained a proposed framework for the Build Back Better Act. The resolution required 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Nay Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Failed (49-51) Nay Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to concur in the House's version of the bill. Click here to read more. Passed (68-29) Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020 Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Nay on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Nay on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Nay on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Nay on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Nay on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Nay on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Did not vote on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Nay on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Nay on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Voted Nay on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Nay on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Paul's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Paul voted with three other Republican senators against the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Paul was one of five Republicans to vote against the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Paul was one of two Republican senators to vote against the bill. Defense spending authorization On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Paul and five Republicans did not vote. On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Paul voted with one Republican, 22 Democrats and one Independent against the bill. The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2015 budget On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Paul voted with 34 Republicans against the bill. It passed the House on October 28, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Paul voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Paul voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Paul and one other Republican did not vote. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran." Paul did not vote. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Paul voted with 29 Republicans, one Democrat and one independent against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Loretta Lynch AG nomination On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Paul voted with 42 other Republican senators against Lynch's confirmation. Cyber security On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Paul and four other Republicans did not vote. Immigration On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement." Paul voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Paul's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security Committee vote on Syria See also: United States involvement in Syria On September 4, 2013, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved an authorization for President Obama to use limited force against Syria. It was approved by a 10-7 vote. The vote came after a three-hour briefing with top Obama administration officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. Of the nine Democratic members and eight Republican members that make up the committee, seven Democrats and three Republicans voted in favor, while five Republicans and two Democrats opposed the authorization. A single "present" vote was cast by Ed Markey (D). Paul was one of the five Republicans who opposed the authorization. Economy Farm bill On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Paul voted with 22 other Republican senators against the bill. 2014 Budget On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Paul voted with 25 other Republican members against the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Paul voted with the Republican Party against the bill. Statement on government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 After the government shutdown went into effect, Paul said on October 1, 2013, that he would support a short-term funding measure “to keep the government open while we negotiate.” “I think what we could do is pass a very short term, maybe not six weeks, but what about one week, so we could negotiate over a week," Paul said. "I think a continuing bill to keep the government open while we negotiate is a good idea. I do agree that negotiating with the government closed probably to [Democrats] appears like strong-arm tactics.” “I think if we did it for a week or two, we could still continue to negotiate, have a conference committee and really I think the American people do want us to work this out,” Paul added. No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Paul voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill. Paul Ryan Budget Proposal In March 2013 the U.S. Senate soundly rejected a balanced budget plan by House Budget Committee chair Paul Ryan (R). Five Republicans joined every Democrat present to kill the measure, which failed on a 40-59 vote. Paul was one of the five Senate Republicans who voted against Ryan's budget proposal. The proposed budget would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period. Some tea party members of the GOP opposed the measure because of its reliance on $600 billion-plus in tax revenues on the wealthy enacted in January 2013, in order to balance the budget. Others in the Senate opposed the Ryan plan because of cuts from safety net programs for the poor and the inclusion of a plan to turn the Medicare program for the elderly into a voucher-like system for future beneficiaries born in 1959 or later. Immigration Mexico-U.S. border Paul voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines. Social issues Violence Against Women (2013) Paul voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Paul voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of five Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

National security

Patriot Act filibuster

See also: Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016/filibuster (2015)

On May 20, 2015, Paul conducted a nearly 11 hour filibuster of the renewal of provisions in the USA PATRIOT ACT. Paul specifically argued against the mass collection of metadata by the National Security Agency and warrantless wiretapping. He asked Senate leadership to allow members of Congress to debate reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT ACT and propose amendments to HR 2048 - the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, rather than simply casting an up or down vote on the legislation.

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval constituted only an executive agreement. The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Paul was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.

Members of the Obama administration and of Congress reacted to the letter. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."

Editorial to CNN

Paul submitted an opinion editorial to CNN on August 29, 2013, in which he urged President Barack Obama not to rush into a war, saying "America's wars must be debated by Congress, declared constitutionally and fought only for the interests and security of the United States. They should never be fought to save face."

NSA controversy

In June 2013, The Guardian reported about a secret surveillance program where the NSA obtained phone records of millions of customers. Paul considered a class-action lawsuit against the National Security Agency over the large-scale surveillance program that was gathering data on American citizens. Paul also said he would consider taking it to the Supreme Court. Paul called the NSA surveillance program an "astounding assault on the Constitution."

Criticism from Dick Cheney

In June 2013, former vice president Dick Cheney criticized Paul's views that the NSA's surveillance programs infringed on the privacy of American citizens by arguing that most of the current Congress was not present immediately after the 9/11 attacks, and thus did not fully understand the circumstances that led to the adoption of the NSA programs. Cheney stated, "When you consider the possibility of somebody smuggling something like a nuclear device into the United States, it becomes very, very important to gather intelligence on your enemies and stop that attack before it ever gets launched.”

Economy

Budget Proposal

Paul announced he opposed the bipartisan budget proposal that Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray released on December 10, 2013.

Healthcare

Unlikely to defeat Obamacare

In a statement on September 21, 2013, Paul acknowledged that it was unlikely that Republicans in Congress would be able to defeat Obamacare.

“We probably can’t defeat or get rid of Obamacare,” Paul said in a statement.

However, he did note that efforts by Republicans in the House to defund Obamacare in its government funding bill could lead to a compromise.

Anti-Obamacare rally

Senators Ted Cruz, Paul and Mike Lee (Utah), who led calls in the Senate to defund Obamacare in any spending bills, took part in a September 10, 2013, "Exempt America from Obamacare" event, organized by Tea Party Patriots and ForAmerica, along with other conservative groups.

“Democrats will stop at nothing to protect the president’s signature legislation, and too many Republicans are afraid to fight,” rally organizers wrote. They also took a shot at the Office of Personnel Management rule allowing the federal government to continue subsidizing health plans for lawmakers and their aides. “Even Big Government is getting a carve out now,” they wrote.

The rally came after 80 House members signed a letter in August 2013, calling on Congress to defund the health care law in upcoming fiscal battles.

Social issues

Illegal substances

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called for Paul to testify as a witness on a mandatory drug minimum panel on September 18, 2013. The hearings concerned the effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders.

Second Amendment

Paul believes "gun control laws only restrict access to responsible gun ownership." He opposes "any proposed gun control law which would limit the right to gun ownership by those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens."

Paul expanded his criticism of gun control laws to include the Patriot Act, which in his view "gives the government the right to search your home without a warrant, when you're not home, leave listening devices, and use any and all information to create a prosecution on any charge regardless of their original reason for the search." Paul believes that the Second Amendment is protected only as far as the Fourth Amendment is protected. He states that unless Americans are free from "unreasonable searches and seizures," their Second Amendment rights are not fully protected.

Energy

On energy policy, Paul opposes government subsidies for solar and wind power, claiming such involvement destroys incentives for energy innovation and encourages more lobbying by companies "with the most political clout." Paul supports cutting taxes and eliminating regulations on those businesses involved with developing new sources of energy.

Hemp legalization

Paul supports the legalization of hemp.

Political positions

Paul considers himself a "libertarian Republican."

Elections

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Kentucky

Incumbent Rand Paul defeated Charles Booker, Charles Lee Thomason, and Billy Ray Wilson in the general election for U.S. Senate Kentucky on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rand Paul (R)	61.8	913,326
		Charles Booker (D)	38.2	564,311
		Charles Lee Thomason (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	145
		Billy Ray Wilson (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	48

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,477,830
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• David Biery (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky

Charles Booker defeated Joshua Blanton Sr., John Merrill, and Ruth Gao in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charles Booker	73.3	214,245
		Joshua Blanton Sr.	10.6	30,980
		John Merrill	9.9	28,931
		Ruth Gao	6.2	18,154

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 292,310
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rand Paul	86.4	333,051
		Val Fredrick	3.6	14,018
		Paul Hamilton	3.5	13,473
		Arnold Blankenship	2.6	10,092
		Tami Stainfield	2.5	9,526
		John Schiess	1.4	5,538

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 385,698
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

On August 22, 2015, the Republican Party of Kentucky decided Rand Paul could run simultaneous campaigns for the presidency and the Senate. In a 111-36 vote, the party’s central committee approved a presidential caucus to replace its presidential primary, thereby preventing Paul from appearing on two ballots and violating Kentucky campaign law.

Presidency

For a full outline of Paul's presidential campaign, please see: Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

Paul was a Republican presidential candidate in 2016. He suspended his campaign on February 3, 2016.

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Kentucky's U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent Rand Paul (R) defeated Jim Gray (D) and Billy Ray Wilson (Write-in) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Paul defeated James Gould and Stephen Howard Slaughter in the Republican primary, while Gray defeated six other challengers to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on May 17, 2016.

U.S. Senate, Kentucky General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rand Paul Incumbent	57.3%	1,090,177
	Democratic	Jim Gray	42.7%	813,246
	N/A	Write-in	0%	42
Total Votes				1,903,465
Source: Kentucky Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Kentucky Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rand Paul Incumbent	84.8%	169,180
James Gould	8.3%	16,611
Stephen Slaughter	6.9%	13,728
Total Votes		199,519
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections

U.S. Senate, Kentucky Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jim Gray	58.7%	240,598
Sellus Wilder	12.9%	52,729
Ron Leach	9.5%	39,026
Tom Recktenwald	5.3%	21,910
Grant Short	5.3%	21,558
Jeff Kender	4.9%	20,237
Rory Houlihan	3.3%	13,585
Total Votes		409,643
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections

2010

On November 2, 2010, Paul won election to the United States Senate. The race attracted more than $8.5 million dollars in satellite spending.

Paul was a surprising victor over the favorite, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, in the primary election.

Paul defeated Jack Conway (D) and Billy Ray Wilson (Write-In) in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Kentucky General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rand Paul	55.7%	755,706
	Democratic	Jack Conway	44.2%	600,052
	Independent	Billy Ray Wilson	0%	338
Total Votes				1,356,096

U.S. Senate, Kentucky Republican Primary, 2010
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rand Paul	58.8%	206,986
Trey Grayson	35.4%	124,864
Bill Johnson	2.2%	7,861
John Stephenson	2%	6,885
Gurley L. Martin	0.8%	2,850
Jon Scribner	0.8%	2,829
Total Votes		352,275

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rand Paul did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

The following issues were listed on Paul's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Spending and Debt: We currently face a debt of nearly $19 trillion. This is unsustainable. The fiscal crisis that faces our nation must be taken seriously and immediately addressed. End NSA Spying: I believe that every American has a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy which must be protected. Simply put, the phone records of law-abiding Americans are none of the government’s business! If the government has probable cause that an individual is a criminal or suspected terrorist, then they must first go to a judge and obtain a warrant as required by the Fourth Amendment. Term Limits: It is time to put an end to the profession of “career politician,” and impose limits on how many times a member is allowed to seek re-election. As a Senator, I introduced legislation that would limit the amount of time a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate may serve. Taxes: I propose we cut taxes for everyone — rich and poor. I want to shrink the Federal government and expand the private sector. Our Founders never intended for the tax code to be used as a weapon against US citizens. Burdensome tax regulations hurt small businesses and slow down our economy. Audit The Fed: But today, the Fed is now in every nook and cranny of the federal banking system and boasts unprecedented regulatory powers. Yet, Federal Reserve officials tell the American people we have no business looking into what they’ve been doing.	”
—Rand Paul's campaign website, https://www.randpaul.com/issues

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by Rand Paul

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Alexander Mooney  source  (R)	U.S. Senate West Virginia (2024)	Primary	Lost Primary
Bruce Lou  source  (R)	U.S. House California District 11 (2024)	General	Advanced in Primary
Marlin A. Stutzman  source  (R)	U.S. House Indiana District 3 (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Kari Lake  source  (R)	U.S. Senate Arizona (2024)	Primary	–
Matt Rosendale  source  (R)	U.S. Senate Montana (2024)	Primary	Withdrew in Primary
Bernie Moreno  source 1  source 2  (R)	U.S. Senate Ohio (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Charles Herbster  source  (R)	Governor of Nebraska (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
Harriet Hageman  source  (R)	U.S. House Wyoming At-large District (2022)	Primary	Won General
Mo Brooks  source  (R)	U.S. Senate Alabama (2022)	Primary, Primary Runoff	Lost Primary Runoff
Sarah Palin  source  (R)	U.S. House Alaska At-large District (2022)	General	Lost General
Nathan Dahm  source  (R)	U.S. Senate Oklahoma (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
Mike Gibbons  source  (R)	U.S. Senate Ohio (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
Donald Huffines  source  (R)	Governor of Texas (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
Donald Trump  source  (R)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Won General

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Rand Paul campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate Kentucky	Won general	$28,286,112	$23,149,602
2016	U.S. Senate, Kentucky	Won	$10,523,534	N/A**
2010	U.S. Senate (Kentucky)	Won	$7,809,324	N/A**
Grand total			$46,618,970	$23,149,602
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Paul's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $231,006 and $565,000. That averages to $398,003, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Paul ranked as the 86th most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, Paul's calculated net worth decreased by an average of 18 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Rand Paul Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2009	$863,652
2012	$398,003
Growth from 2009 to 2012:	−54%
Average annual growth:	−18%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Paul received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Retired industry.

From 2009-2014, 16.07 percent of Paul's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Rand Paul Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$13,038,135
Total Spent	$10,287,334
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$696,205
Health Professionals	$466,595
Republican/Conservative	$379,534
Securities & Investment	$340,298
Leadership PACs	$212,305
% total in top industry	5.34%
% total in top two industries	8.92%
% total in top five industries	16.07%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Paul was a "rank-and-file Republican," as of July 23, 2014. This was the same rating Paul received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Paul most often votes with:

• Tim Scott
• Joe Manchin

Paul least often votes with:

• Susan Collins
• Ben Cardin

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Rand Paul missed 45 of 1,412 roll call votes from January 2011 to September 2015. This amounts to 3.2 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Paul paid his congressional staff a total of $1,454,975 in 2011. He ranked fifth on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked fifth overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Kentucky ranked 40th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Paul ranked 19th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Paul ranked 6th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Paul ranked 32nd in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Paul voted with the Republican Party 83.0 percent of the time, which ranked 35th among the 45 Senate Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Paul voted with the Republican Party 83.6 percent of the time, which ranked 38th among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on March 22, 2020

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

On March 22, 2020, Paul announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus.

A March 22 Tweet from Paul's account stated, "Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."

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COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Paul has been married to his wife Kelley (nee Ashby) since 1993. They live in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and have three sons: William, Duncan, and Robert.

Paul is the first Senator to have served simultaneously with a parent, Ron Paul (R), in the United States House of Representatives.

Strategy Group for Media

In July 2013, it was announced that Kelley Paul was no longer a staff member of Strategy Group for Media, a conservative consulting firm. The firm has previously worked on Sen. Paul's television ads in his 2010 race, Senate candidate Todd Akin's campaign and Michele Bachmann's 2012 presidential bid, among other campaigns.

2017: Paul assaulted by neighbor

On November 3, 2017, while Paul was mowing his lawn, he was assaulted outside of his Bowling Green, Kentucky, home by his neighbor, Rene Bousher. Kentucky state police arrested Bousher and charged him with one count of assault in the fourth degree. Under Kentucky law at the time of Boucher's arrest, assault in the fourth degree in Kentucky was a Class A misdemeanor and carried a penalty of either a $500 fine, a maximum term of 12 months in prison, or both.

After the attack, a spokesperson for Paul said, "Senator Paul was blindsided and the victim of an assault. ...The assailant was arrested and it is now a matter for the police. Senator Paul is fine."

On November 5, 2018, Paul's chief of staff released an updated statement on Paul's condition, saying, "Senator Paul has five rib fractures including three displaced fractures. ... This type of injury is caused by high velocity severe force. It is not clear exactly how soon he will return to work, as the pain is considerable as is the difficulty in getting around, including flying. ... Senator Paul and Kelley appreciate everyone’s thoughts and well wishes and he will be back fighting for liberty in the Senate soon." Paul also had bruises on his lungs caused by the broken ribs.

In the criminal case against Boucher, he was required to serve a 30-day prison sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a member of Congress. Boucher also was fined $10,000 and required to serve 100 hours of community service. On January 30, 2019, Paul was awarded more than $580,000 in damages and medical expenses.

On January 30, 2019, Paul wrote in a tweet, "This lawsuit wasn’t about me. It was about all of us and what we find acceptable as a society. We need to send a clear message that violence is not the answer - anytime, anywhere. We can hold different views, whether it’s politics, religion or day to day matters."

The attack on Paul was not motivated by politics, according to NBC News.

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	U.S. Senate Kentucky 2011-Present	Succeeded by -

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Kentucky's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mitch McConnell (R)

Rand Paul (R)

Representatives

District 1

James Comer (R)

District 2

Brett Guthrie (R)

District 3

Morgan McGarvey (D)

District 4

Thomas Massie (R)

District 5

Hal Rogers (R)

District 6

Andy Barr (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (1)