Press Releases

Has returned $1.8 million since taking office BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Sen. Rand Paul today announced that he has returned $480,000 to the United States Treasury - money unspent from his official operating budget in 2014. He made the announcement while speaking to young professionals this morning in Louisville, Ky. Since taking office in January 2011, from his Senate office budget, Sen. Paul has returned: $1.8 million to the U.S. Treasury in cumulative yearly operating budget savings $170,000 more through sequester cuts in 2013 17% of his total budget to taxpayers "Washington has put out-of-...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul today re-introduced S. 457, the Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act of 2015, co-sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). This bipartisan legislation would restore Federal voting rights for non-violent ex-offenders. "A criminal record is currently one of the biggest impediments to voting in federal elections. The Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act will reform existing federal law and give low-level ex-offenders another opportunity to vote. This is an issue that I feel strongly about, and I will continue to fight for the restoration of voting...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul today announced his service academy nominations for 2015. Fifty-one Kentuckians were nominated to the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. "It is an honor to nominate these young women and men from Kentucky to attend America's esteemed service academies," said Sen. Paul. "I applaud each of these students, both for their hard work in the classroom and their dedication to our country." The nominees, and their hometowns, are listed below: United States Military Academy Nomination 1...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul issued the following statement opposing the nomination of Loretta Lynch to the position of U.S. Attorney General: "Mrs. Lynch has a track-record of violating the individual freedoms granted to us by our Constitution. She considers civil asset forfeiture to be a 'useful tool,' while I consider it to be an infringement on the Fifth Amendment. She remains non-committal on the legality of drone strikes against American citizens, while I believe such strikes unequivocally violate rights granted to us by the Sixth Amendment. Mrs. Lynch also supports President Obama...Read more

Bill To Ensure Sentences Consider Mitigating Factors In Appropriate Cases WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act (S. 353/H.R. 706) in the Senate and House of Representatives. The Justice Safety Valve Act would give federal judges the ability to impose sentences below mandatory minimums in appropriate cases based upon mitigating factors. "Since mandatory sentencing began, America's prison population has quadrupled, to 2.4 million. America...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul today said he supports efforts in the Kentucky General Assembly to pass legislation that would allow some nonviolent, low-level felons in the Commonwealth to ask courts to expunge their records. "I believe that an individual should have the opportunity for redemption," said Sen. Paul. "One mistake should not keep someone from being able to seek employment and build a better future. Those who have paid their debt to society should be able to take the steps they need to move forward with their lives." A bill has been filed in the General Assembly this year...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R- KY) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today announced that they will be introducing the Invest in Transportation Act of 2015. This bipartisan legislation would extend the Highway Trust Fund, which supports millions of jobs. The bill would also boost economic growth and create jobs by providing an incentive for companies to bring back some of the estimated $2 trillion in foreign earnings that are being held overseas. Senators Paul and Boxer today released a white paper explaining the details of their proposal, which will be introduced in the coming weeks...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have issued a letter backed by seven Republican senators to President Barack Obama affirming their commitment to work to expand trade and travel between the United States and Cuba. The letter - also signed by U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), and Susan Collins (R-ME) - marks the public emergence of a coalition of GOP senators intent on ensuring Congress plays an integral role in reforming and modernizing U.S.-Cuba policy. "Our hope is that changes to the current trade...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul yesterday reintroduced S. 255, the FAIR (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration) Act. This legislation would protect the rights of property owners and restore the Fifth Amendment's role in property proceedings. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) is the lead sponsor of the FAIR Act in the House of Representatives. "The federal government has made it far too easy for government agencies to take and profit from the property of those who have not been convicted of a crime. The FAIR Act will ensure that government agencies no longer profit from taking the property of U.S...Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C . - Sen. Rand Paul today reintroduced the bipartisan Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015. Known widely as "Audit the Fed," the bill calls to eliminate restrictions on Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits of the Federal Reserve and mandate that the Federal Reserve's credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities would be subject to Congressional oversight. "A complete and thorough audit of the Fed will finally allow the American people to know exactly how their money is being spent by Washington. The Fed's currently operates under a...Read more