Rand Paul (R)

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?

"My first thoughts aren't that forgiving for someone who would hurt a member of my family, but I also understand there have been times when we haven't gotten the right person...

And somebody who is distrustful of big government, like I am, is also distrustful of so much power being given to government to kill somebody, when there might be a mistake. A lot of eyewitness testimony has been shown over time not to be very good...

We also have the problem of when you've got three thugs and they're all testifying against each other, and two of them say, 'Let's say he did it,' and the other two say, 'Let's say he did it,'...

So your testimony is coming from people who are not necessarily the best witnesses, as far as veracity.

Most crimes are adjudicated at the state level and should be, so there really are almost no crimes at the federal level really under the Constitution that would require the death penalty – I think treason being one. It isn't a big issue, I think as far as a change in federal policy, and I would leave it for the most part to the states."

Source: James Hohmann, "In Iowa, Rand Paul Sticks with Death Penalty Skepticism," washingtonpost.com, May 28, 2015

None Found
Should the United States Abide by Its Treaties with Native American Tribes?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Private Prisons Be Allowed in the United States?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Law Enforcement Be Allowed to Use Racial Profiling?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Supreme Court Justice Scalia's Replacement Be Chosen by President Obama?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the United States Continue the War on Drugs?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Churches (Defined as Churches, Temples, Mosques, Synagogues, etc.) Remain Tax-Exempt?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Does Lowering the Corporate Income Tax Rate Create Jobs?

"The US corporate income tax rate is among the highest in the world. Countries like Spain, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland have tax rates at 30 percent or less – and one of our largest international competitors, China, has a corporate tax rate of just 25. Even our closest neighbor, Canada, is outcompeting us with a tax rate of only 15 percent. We need to allow U.S. business to better compete internationally, and reducing the corporate rate from the current 35 percent to a low rate of five percent for businesses in economically depressed areas will allow those businesses to expand and compete globally."

Source: Rand Paul, "Economic Freedom Zones," paul.senate.gov (accessed Nov. 9, 2015)

None Found
Should the Federal Government Continue to Subsidize Oil Companies?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Con
Should Any Federal Taxes Be Increased?

"Some of my fellow Republican candidates for the presidency have proposed plans to fix the tax system. These proposals are a step in the right direction, but the tax code has grown so corrupt, complicated, intrusive and antigrowth that I've concluded the system isn't fixable.

So I am announcing an over $2 trillion tax cut that would repeal the entire IRS tax code—more than 70,000 pages—and replace it with a low, broad-based tax of 14.5% on individuals and businesses. I would eliminate nearly every special-interest loophole. The plan also eliminates the payroll tax on workers and several federal taxes outright, including gift and estate taxes, telephone taxes, and all duties and tariffs. I call this 'The Fair and Flat Tax.'"

Source: Rand Paul, "Taxes," randpaul.com (accessed Aug. 28, 2016)

[Editor's Note: Rand Paul has signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes." (accessed on Oct. 5, 2015)]

Pro
Should There Be a Flat Tax on Income?

"My tax plan would blow up the tax code and start over. In consultation with some of the top tax experts in the country, including the Heritage Foundation’s Stephen Moore, former presidential candidate Steve Forbes and Reagan economist Arthur Laffer, I devised a 21st-century tax code that would establish a 14.5% flat-rate tax applied equally to all personal income, including wages, salaries, dividends, capital gains, rents and interest. All deductions except for a mortgage and charities would be eliminated. The first $50,000 of income for a family of four would not be taxed. For low-income working families, the plan would retain the earned-income tax credit.

I would also apply this uniform 14.5% business-activity tax on all companies—down from as high as nearly 40% for small businesses and 35% for corporations."

Source: Rand Paul, "Blow Up the Tax Code and Start Over," wsj.com, June 17, 2015

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Glass-Steagall Be Reinstated?

"What I've been thinking about - and I've met with several people, I don't know that they have a solution yet - is a way to do something like Glass-Steagall... but not with the heavy hand of government, but withholding government insurance…

[W]hether or not there's a way to limit anything that government gives that encourages bigness."

Source: Jon Ward, "Rand Paul Cool on Breaking up Big Banks, Open to Starving Them," huffingtonpost.com, Mar. 12, 2013

None Found
Should the US Return to the Gold Standard in Which Coin and Currency Are Backed by Gold?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Social Security Be Privatized?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement Good for America?

"I've told leadership I'm a 'no' vote [on trade promotion authority (TPA)]... I'm hesitant to give blanket authority on stuff we haven’t seen. I'm not saying there wouldn't be a time I could be for it [Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)], if I'd seen the trade agreement, and it's fine...

I still might vote for the trade agreement [TPP], but I hate giving up power. We give up so much power from Congress to the presidency, and with them being so secretive on the treaty, it just concerns me what's in the treaty."

Source: John DiStaso, "Paul Opposes Granting Obama Fast-Track Trade Authority," wmur.com, May 11, 2015

[Editor's Note: In addition to the above Not Clearly Pro or Con statement, Rand Paul also made the following Not Clearly Pro or Con statement in an Oct. 2014 policy address at the Center for the National Interest, available at paul.senate.gov:

"President George W. Bush understood that part of the projection of American power is the exporting of American goods and culture. His administration successfully brokered fourteen new free trade agreements and negotiated three others that are the only new free trade agreements approved since President Obama took office. Instead of just talking about a so-called 'pivot to Asia,' the Obama administration should prioritize negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership by year's end."]

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Is the Growth of Charter Schools Good for Education in America?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Are the Common Core Standards Good for Education in America?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should K-12 Teachers Get Tenure?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Any Public Colleges or Universities Be Tuition-Free?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Pro
Was the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision Good for America?

"I think money corrupts the process... I do however agree with Citizens United, in that I think speech, whether you pay for it or not, is speech. And the thing is, let's say I owned the Chicago Tribune, I've got a much bigger voice than millions of people, and yet no one is proposing anyone should restrict... what articles they write, and what their bias is... I think paid speech really has to be protected."

Source: University of Chicago Institute of Politics, "A Conversation with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), YouTube.com, Apr. 22, 2014

[Editor's Note: On Sep. 11, 2014, Rand Paul voted against Senate Joint Resolution 19, a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United case.]

None Found
Should the Presidential Debates Include Third Party Candidates?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentences (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote?

"The right to vote is among the most important rights that we have... No one should lose this right for life because they spent time in jail for a nonviolent crime. Restoring voting rights for those who have repaid their debt to society is simply the right thing to do."

Source: Rand Paul, "Sen. Paul Urges General Assembly to Pass Amendment to Restore Voting Rights in Kentucky," paul.senate.gov, Jan. 7, 2015

[Editor’s Note: We have classified Rand Paul as Not Clearly Pro or Con (NC) to our question, rather than Pro, because it is not clear whether he thinks all felons who have served their sentences, including violent felons, should regain the ability to vote.]

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Voters Be Required to Show Photo Identification in Order to Vote?

"My position is pretty clear... I don't think there's a problem with showing your ID, but I do think there's a problem with Republicans saying, 'Hey, our big issue for the campaign is going to be voter ID,' because what it creates is - a lot of African-Americans understandably remember the '40s and '50s in the South, and they remember suppression of the vote…

I don't think it's unreasonable, I just think it's dumb for Republicans to emphasize this and say, 'This is how we're going to win the election'... Early voting should be out there for everybody. I'm for early votes, more voting. Let's go to the black community and compete for the vote. Let's talk about criminal justice and school choice and economic opportunity. There are ways we can get African-Americans to come to the Republican Party."

Source: Arthur Delaney, "Rand Paul: Voter ID Push Is 'Dumb,' But the Laws Are Reasonable," huffingtonpost.com, Nov. 2, 2014

None Found
Should US Election Campaigns Be Publicly Financed?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Energy

None Found
Should New Fossil Fuel Leases on Federal Land Be Allowed?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Energy

None Found
Should Fracking Be Allowed?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Energy

None Found
Should the United States Build Additional Nuclear Power Plants?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is China an Economic or Military Threat to the United States?

"In East Asia, Beijing extols the remarkable rise of China as the supremacy of a one-party state capitalism…

Trade is a critical element of building a productive relationship with other nations, including China.

While our relations with China are complicated, trade has drawn us together and mutual investment can also play a constructive role. In an era in which geopolitics could drive us apart, we need to look for new areas for US-Chinese cooperation."

Source: Rand PAC, "Senator Paul Gives Foreign Policy Address at Center for the National Interest," randpac.com, Oct. 24, 2014

Con
Should the United States Maintain Its Embargo against Cuba?

"I support engagement, diplomacy, and trade with Cuba, China, Vietnam, and many countries with less than stellar human rights records, because I believe that once enslaved people taste freedom and see the products of capitalism they will become hungry for freedom themselves...

The supporters of the embargo against Cuba speak with heated passion but fall strangely silent when asked how trade with Cuba is so different than trade with Russia or China or Vietnam...

Even the supporters of the embargo agree that it has not worked. A policy of isolationism with Cuba and engagement with China and Vietnam does not make any sense. Communism can’t survive the captivating allure of capitalism. Let’s overwhelm the Castro regime with iPhones, iPads, American cars, and American ingenuity...

The 50-year embargo against Cuba has not worked. If the goal was regime change, then it sure does not seem to be working. It also hurts the people more than the regime, because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship...

Let's hope cooler heads will ultimately prevail and we unleash a trade tsunami that washes the Castro's once and for all into the sea."

Source: Rand Paul, "Rand Paul: Cuba Isolationists Just Don't Get It," time.com, Dec. 19, 2014

Con
Is the Nuclear Arms Deal with Iran Good for America?

"I oppose the Iranian deal, and will vote against it. I don't think that the president negotiated from a position of strength, but I don’t immediately discount negotiations.

I'm a Reagan conservative. Reagan did negotiate with the Soviets. But you have to negotiate from a position of strength, and I think President Obama gave away too much, too early.

If there's going to be a negotiation, you're going to have to believe somehow that the Iranians are going to comply. I asked this question to John Kerry, I said 'do you believe they're trustworthy?' and he said 'No.'

And I said, 'well, how are we gonna get them to comply?' I would have never released the sanctions before there was consistent evidence of compliance."

Source: TIME, "Transcript: Read the Full Text of the Primetime Republican Debate," time.com, Aug. 11, 2015

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should There Be an Independent Palestinian State?

"I didn't come [to Israel], and am not going away thinking I know the grand solution — one state, two states. Really, ultimately, those are your decisions. Those are not my decisions to make and America shouldn’t dictate them to you...

If you ask me about whether or not you can expand a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem, I would tell you it’s none of my business. I think you're right to be offended by US politicians telling you where you can build and where you can't...

Your best chance for more peace is more trade, more prosperity for Palestinians."

Source: Raphael Ahren, "Tea Party Leader: Israel's Policies Are Not Our Business," timesofisrael.com, Jan. 13, 2013

Con
Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?

"There are many in Washington who give lip service to the Second Amendment, but vote to restrict gun ownership once they begin serving in public office. Gun control laws only restrict access to responsible gun ownership. High risk individuals will still be able to acquire firearms even with an increase in prevention. I do not support any proposed gun control law which would limit the right to gun ownership by those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens.

Politicians often give lip service to the 2nd Amendment but then go off to Washington and vote to restrict gun ownership. We need to send people to Washington that not only understand the 2nd amendment but the entire Bill of Rights."

Source: Rand Paul, "Protecting Gun Rights," paul.senate.gov (accessed Oct. 5, 2015)

None Found
Should Schools Be Gun-Free Zones?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the Federal Government Study Gun Violence?

No position found as of Jan. 13, 2016

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Pro
Should People on the No-Fly List or the Terror Watch List Be Allowed to Purchase Guns?

"[N]obody wants somebody who's a terrorist to have a gun — myself included — but there has to be a process…

I don't think we should take away your First Amendment right to have freedom to express yourself in the media without some kind of due process. I'd be very worried about saying, we're going to have a watch list of journalists who we think are inappropriate on TV, and we'll take away their First Amendment rights. What you really need is a constitutional process. I'm all for keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists, but you can't just have a list [no-fly list]."

Source: Matthew Balan, "CNN's Camerota Lobbies Rand Paul on Obama's Gun Control Proposal," newsbusters.org, Dec. 7, 2015

[Editor's Note: On Dec. 3, 2015, Senator Paul voted no on S.Amdt. 2910 "to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists."]

Con
Should Abortion Be Legal?

"I am 100% pro-life. I believe life begins at conception and that abortion takes the life of an innocent human being. It is the duty of our government to protect this life as a right guaranteed under the Constitution. For this reason, I introduced S. 583, the Life at Conception Act on March 14, 2013. This bill would extend the Constitutional protection of life to the unborn from the time of conception.

It is unconscionable that government would facilitate the taking of innocent life. I have stated many times that I will always support legislation that would end abortion or lead us in the direction of ending abortion."

Source: Rand Paul, "Advocating for Sanctity of Life," paul.senate.gov (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

None Found
Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Con
Is Obamacare Good for America?

"I was not a member of the United States Senate during the 111th Congress, but if I had been I would have voted against Obamacare. As your President, one of my first acts would be to repeal the abomination that is Obamacare.

As a doctor, I have had firsthand experience with the immense problems facing health care in the United States. Prior to the implementation of Obamacare, our health care system was over-regulated and in need of serious market reforms—but Obamacare is not the answer.

Government interventions in health care have driven up the cost of coverage and decreased competition within the market. More—not less—freedom to choose and innovate will make sure our health care system remains the best in the world."

Source: Rand Paul, "Rand Paul Supports Free-Market Principles in Health Care and the Repeal of Obamacare," randpaul.com (accessed Aug. 25, 2015)

None Found
Should Parental Consent Be Required for Pregnant Minors to Have Abortions?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?

No position found as of Nov. 23, 2015

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Con
Should Planned Parenthood Receive Federal Funding?

"I think it is important to know there are 9,000 community health centers across the country which do everything that Planned Parenthood does except for abortion.

There is absolutely no need for public funding of Planned Parenthood. There's no excuse for it and we should end all funding for Planned Parenthood."

Source: Rand Paul, "Dr. Rand Paul Urges Support for Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood at Press Conference," paul.senate.gov, July 29, 2015

Con
Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care?

"With regard to the idea of whether you have a right to health care, you have to realize what that implies. It's not an abstraction. I'm a physician. That means you have a right to come to my house and conscript me. It means you believe in slavery...

You're saying you believe in taking and extracting from another person. Our founding documents were very clear about this. You have a right to pursue happiness but there's no guarantee of physical comfort. There's no guarantee of concrete items. In order to give something concrete, you have to take it from someone. So there’s an implied threat of force.

If I'm a physician in your community and you say you have a right to health care, do you have a right to beat down my door with the police, escort me away and force me to take care of you? That's ultimately what the right to free health care would be. If you believe in a right to health care, you're believing in basically the use of force to conscript someone to do your bidding."

Source: US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, "Diverting Non-Urgent Emergency Room Use: Can It Provide Better Care and Lower Costs?," help.senate.gov, May 11, 2011

None Found
Should the Federal Government Use Raids to Enforce Immigration Laws?

No position found as of Feb. 3, 2016

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Con
Should Checking Employee Immigration Status (as in the E-Verify Program) Be Mandatory for All Employers?

"Many see measures contained in this bill, such as a strong E-Verify and a 'photo tool,' as a means to control unlawful immigrants’ access to unlawful employment. I worry that they go too far.

I think there are better ideas that err on the side of individual privacy while still strengthening our borders. We should scrap a national identification database and pass immigration reform that secures the border, expands existing work-visa programs and prevents noncitizens from access to welfare. These simple ideas will eliminate the perceived need for an invasive worker-verification system and a government citizenship database."

Source: Rand Paul, "Paul: Blocking the Pathway to a National ID," washingtontimes.com, May 24, 2013

Pro
Should the United States Continue to Build the Fence/Wall along the US-Mexico Border?

"While serving in the Senate, I introduced legislation that would make immigration reform conditional on Congress voting on whether the border is secure, requiring completion of a border fence in five years and a protection against the federal government establishing a national identification card system for citizens."

Source: Rand Paul, "Rand Paul Opposes Amnesty and Believes We Must Secure the Border While Encouraging Legal Immigration," randpaul.com (accessed Oct. 5, 2015)

Pro
Should Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Be Allowed to Become Legal Residents?

"Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...

My plan is very simple and will include work visas for those who are here, who are willing to come forward and work...

Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.

Conservatives, myself included, are wary of amnesty. My plan will not grant amnesty or move anyone to the front of the line. But what we have now is de facto amnesty.

The solution doesn't have to be amnesty or deportation - a middle ground might be called probation where those who came illegally become legal through a probationary period."

Source: The Wall Street Journal, "Text of Rand Paul's Immigration Speech," wsj.com, Mar. 19, 2013

[Editor's Note: Rand Paul voted against the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, which included a path to legalization, and eventually citizenship, for immigrants who are currently in the United States illegally provided they met certain conditions.]

None Found
Should Sanctuary Cities Continue to Receive Federal Funding for Law Enforcement?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Con
Should the United States Allow Syrian Refugees into the Country?

"[W]e have been attacked in the past by refugees or by people posing as refugees. The two Boston bombers were here as refugees. They didn't take very kindly to what we gave them - education, food, clothing, and they chose to attack our country.

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, we had two Iraqi refugees who came through the refugee program, posing as refugees and then promptly decided to buy stinger missiles. Fortunately, they got them from an F.B.I. Agent and we caught them, but when we caught them, we discovered that their fingerprints were already on bomb fragments in Iraq in our database, and yet we had no clue and admitted them anyway…

I don't think we should continue adding people to the rolls of those coming from the Middle East until we absolutely know who is in our country and what their intentions are."

Source: Rand Paul, "FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries," paul.senate.gov, Nov. 18, 2015

Labor & Wages

None Found
Should the Federal Government Guarantee Paid Family and Medical Leave?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Labor & Wages

Con
Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased?

"When you look at raising it [the federal minimum wage], all of the studies show that if you raise it, you get more unemployment. So, really, the market place does a better job...

[R]aising the minimum wage causes more unemployment. When we have 20 million people out of work, I think it's a bad idea to raise it."

Source: American Bridge, "The Real Rand Paul: Paul Claimed That Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts 'Minorities and Kids,'" americanbridgepac.org, Mar. 27, 2015

[Editor's Note: In 2014, Senator Paul voted against the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S.2223), which would have raised the federal minimum wage to $10.10 after two years.]

Labor & Wages

None Found
Do Labor Unions Provide an Overall Benefit to Their Workers in the United States?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Marijuana & Alcohol

None Found
Should the Minimum Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Marijuana & Alcohol

Pro
Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?

"For far too long, the government has enforced unnecessary laws that have restricted the ability of the medical community to determine the medicinal value of marijuana and have prohibited Americans from receiving essential care that would alleviate their chronic pain and suffering. I am proud today to stand with Sens. Gillibrand and Booker to introduce a bill that will fundamentally change our nation's drug policies and have a positive impact on the lives of our Veterans and children."

Source: Rand Paul, "Sens. Paul, Booker, & Gillibrand Announce CARERS Act: New Bipartisan Medical Marijuana Bill to Allow Patients - Including Veterans - to Access Necessary Care without Fear of Federal Prosecution," paul.senate.gov, Mar. 10, 2015

Marijuana & Alcohol

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?

"I'm not for having the federal government get involved. I really haven't taken a stand on... the actual legalization [of recreational marijuana]. I haven't really taken a stand on that, but I'm against the federal government telling them [the District of Columbia] they can't."

Source: Niels Lesniewski, "Rand Paul: Let DC Legalize Marijuana, If Voters Want," blogs.rollcall.com, Nov. 4, 2014

[Editor's Note: In addition to Rand Paul's Not Clearly Pro or Con quote above, he also made the following statement, as quoted in an Oct. 27, 2015 article "Ahead of GOP Debate, Rand Paul Talks Marijuana, Budget Filibuster," available at blogs.denverpost.com:

"I’m not here to advocate for marijuana. But I'm here to advocate for freedom. And you know what, if I’m president I’m going to leave Colorado the hell alone."]

None Found
Should the United States and Russia Collaborate to Combat Terrorism?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Pro
Should the United States Continue Its Use of Drone Strikes Abroad?

"Today, we are here not to condemn the use of drones in a general sense. Drone technology certainly has its merits and has been useful against our enemies. But the potential for the misuse of drones, or lack of foresight in using them as a general policy—at home or even on the battlefield against terror suspects—raises important constitutional and national security concerns.

We now know that the President has a kill list, which has already included American citizens, such as terror suspect Anwar al-Awlaki. But even overseas, even traitors deserve some due process if they are American citizens, particularly if they are not actively involved in combat. If he was actively engaged in combat against our soldiers, there would’ve been no question—you take him out...

This is not to say that drones should never be used, and they have been used sometimes to good effect. But some in the military community have argued that our current drone program actually makes the nation less safe and undermines our national security...

On the battlefield drones are unquestionably an important tool when Congress has authorized the action. But they are a unique tool. They are a tool that enables the Executive to stretch the limits of Congress' authorization of force.

That is even more true when targeting American citizens, and drone assassinations should not be used in lieu of due process. The Constitution already provides a guide for dealing with citizens suspected of collaborating with radical terrorists—try them for treason."

Source: Rand Paul, "Drone Wars: The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing," paul.senate.gov, Apr. 23, 2013

Con
Should the United States Send Ground Troops to Fight ISIS?

"I think that there do need to be boots on the ground, I just think the boots on the ground need to be the people that live there. [They] need to stand up and fight.

I can't see it if the Iraqi's are not willing to fight for their country, sending American GI's to fight in their place...

Why is Turkey not doing everything humanely possible, including sending troops into there?

If the Turks sent troops in and if the Jordanians had troops and the Saudis had troops and the Qataris had troops, we'd be in a much better situation...

We do need to do something about ISIS, so I am for using the full extent of our air power, our intelligence gathering, our drones."

Source: Fox News Insider, "Sen. Rand Paul on Fighting ISIS: Our Allies Need to Be the Boots on the Ground," insider.foxnews.com, Oct. 19 2014

None Found
Should the United States Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the US Have Attacked Iraq in 2003?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the US Military Budget Be Increased?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the United States Have Mandatory National Service (Military or Civilian)?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should the National Security Agency (NSA) Continue to Collect Phone and Email Metadata on US Citizens?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Con
Should Interrogation Techniques That Some Consider Torture, Such as Waterboarding, Be a Legal Option?

"I'm opposed to torture, and I think our country should have a higher ideal than that, and I would oppose it... it is part of our Army manual not to do it, we just don't pay attention to our own rules. I think that torture is always wrong and it shouldn't be performed."

Source: Rand Paul, "Scott Horton Interviews Dr. Rand Paul Part 2," youtube.com, May 18, 2009

[Editor's Note: On June 16, 2015 Senator Paul voted in favor of S.Amdt.1889 to "reaffirm the prohibition on torture."]

None Found
Should the Veterans Health Administration Be Privatized?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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None Found
Should Women Be Allowed to Serve in Military Combat Positions?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Race

None Found
Should Colleges and Universities Use Affirmative Action for Admissions?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Race

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is the Black Lives Matter Movement Good for America?

"I've introduced 10 pieces of legislation on criminal justice reform. In fact I ended up helping get passed a bill that allows for a report for any shooting deaths of police that they need to know race of individuals, so because of my leadership in Senate, we will get a report on what's going on. I've also introduced many criminal justice reforms to say that many of the minor drug crimes that we call felonies could be made misdemeanors or less, and that really putting people in jail for drug use is a waste of money and it ends up occupying space that violent criminals could take place…

Do I think it's a good idea for people to jump up and commandeer the microphone? No, and I wouldn't let them [Black Lives Matter] take my microphone. You know things cost money, and they need to learn that things cost money, and really all lives matter. Someone said that the other day, and then they had to apologize, and it's like 'Really? You're apologizing because you said all lives matter?' But I think there are some grievances, and I think the drug war has disproportionately affected black individuals, and I'd be willing to meet with them [Black Lives Matter] anytime; I'd be willing to sit and have a forum with them. I've been to 10 criminal justice forums that include many African Americans talking about all these same things, but we do it in a civil way. We don't get up there and grab someone's microphone and yell at them. And they're getting attention, but I don't know if they're making a good point."

Source: Natalie Brand, "Presidential Hopeful Rand Paul Sits down with King 5," king5.com, Aug. 24, 2015

Race

None Found
Is the Criminal Justice System Unfair to Black People?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is Human Activity Primarily Responsible for Global Climate Change?

"Global warming... Can, or does, man have something to do with it? Sure. But that's not the debate. That's not the end of the debate, that's the beginning of the debate. So then let's ask ourselves, before the industrial revolution, before we had any manmade emissions, were there changes in climate? There were profound changes in climate. We had geologic ice ages. There have been times where it's warmer than now. We have also had times where we have had much more CO2 in the air than we do now. So there have been cyclical natures to climate. So there is a natural cycle that has occurred even before man existed on the planet, and then there is the question of whether man has some influence on the climate now...

Does man have some influence over the climate? Probably yes, but... The debate is over how much is nature, and how much is man. And I think good people can say, I don't know, maybe its 95% nature, maybe I think its 50% nature. But the people on the other side of this, have become somewhat hysterical in thinking it's all man, it has nothing to do with nature."

Source: Townhall meeting at the Kilton Library (West Lebanon, NH), YouTube.com, July 25, 2015

Con
Should Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Have Mandatory Labeling?

"The labeling requirements [for GMO foods] are enormously expensive and just add to the cost of foods. Somebody who is poor can't buy as much food because of requiring labels to be stuck on things…

I don't think we ought to be involved with labeling at all so I'm an outlier in that I don't fit neatly in one category or the other."

Source: Frank Holdmeyer, "Sen. Rand Paul Opens up on GMO Labeling," agri-pulse.com, Sep. 13, 2015

[Editor's Note: on May 23, 2013, Senator Rand Paul voted against a Senate amendment (S.AMDT.965) that would have allowed states to require mandatory labeling of GMO foods.]

Pro
Should the United States Authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline to Import Tar Sand Oil from Canada?

"My 2014 budget proposal, A Clear Vision to Revitalize America, would accelerate domestic resource development on public lands...

My plan would also approve the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. I have consistently and repeatedly voted to allow this project to proceed. Rather than create thousands of new jobs, expand America's refining capacity, and strengthen our unique partnership with neighboring Canada, President Obama has elected instead to block any progress on building the Keystone XL, in stark contrast to the 'all-of-the-above' approach to energy production he claims to support."

Source: Rand Paul, "Advancing Energy Security," paul.senate.gov (accessed Aug. 13, 2015)

None Found
Should the United States Transition Away from Fossil Fuels and Towards Renewable Energy?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Sex & Gender

Con
Was the US Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage a Good Decision?

"While I disagree with Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage, I believe that all Americans have the right to contract.

The Constitution is silent on the question of marriage because marriage has always been a local issue. Our founding fathers went to the local courthouse to be married, not to Washington, D.C.

I've often said I don't want my guns or my marriage registered in Washington...

The government should not prevent people from making contracts but that does not mean that the government must confer a special imprimatur upon a new definition of marriage.

Perhaps the time has come to examine whether or not governmental recognition of marriage is a good idea, for either party.

Since government has been involved in marriage, they have done what they always do -- taxed it, regulated it, and now redefined it."

Source: Rand Paul, “Rand Paul: Government Should Get out of the Marriage Business Altogether," randpaul.com. June 28, 2015

Sex & Gender

None Found
Should Religious Liberty Give People the Right to Deny Goods and Services for Gay Marriage?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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Sex & Gender

None Found
Should Transgender People Be Allowed to Use the Bathroom of Their Choice?

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

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