Top 10 Reasons Why Rand Paul Should Be Elected President

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is set to officially enter the 2016 presidential race this Tuesday, April 7. Paul has spent his 4 years in the Senate solidifying himself as a principled defender of liberty and the Constitution, and he gives to libertarians their best chance in generations of significantly swaying national policy while obtaining the Oval Office. The following are the top 10 reasons Senator Paul deserves to be the next President of the United States.

1. He advocates for a stronger, yet smarter, national defense.

Nearly every libertarian and conservative recognizes that one of the only legitimate functions of the federal government is to protect Americans from threats to national security, domestic and abroad. In the age of ISIS, this has become of particular importance, and Rand Paul has consistently placed defense spending as a top priority when it comes to the budget.

However, Senator Paul also acknowledges that past increases in defense spending by Republicans without regard to financial consequences have helped to create just as much debt as those programs advocated for by Democrats. It is for this reason that Senator Paul was the only Republican who proposed a budget amendment that would require cuts to other programs before allowing an increase in defense spending.

Additionally, Paul’s position has been unique in that he has often pointed out past failures of American interventionism, and the peril of unnecessary foreign entanglements.

2. He is working to rein in an out-of-control federal government.

There seems to have never been a period in recent history where government has not been constantly growing and taking away more of our freedoms. With dozens of executive agencies and daily intrusions into our Americans’ lives, Paul envisions a simplified federal government, which would leave most responsibilities to the states and preserve checks and balances. This includes lessening the EPA’s regulatory jurisdiction, eliminating the Departments of Commerce and Education and abolishing the IRS. He has also introduced the REINS Act, which would give Congress the final say over any major rule with an annual economic impact of $100 million or more.

3. He has brought light to the unbridled power of the Federal Reserve.

 

Most followers of Senator Paul’s father Ron Paul will quickly tell you that one of the biggest reasons that the federal government can tax and spend at the rates it has with no accountability whatsoever is because of the shadowy, mysterious Federal Reserve. With “Audit the Fed” introduced and explained in the House of Representatives several times by then-Congressman Ron Paul, many Americans for the first time came to realize just how much power the central bank had obtained since its inception in 1913, and all of the destruction which it has left in its path. Senator Paul has picked up the banner of the proposed legislation, introducing it in the Senate earlier this year. There have thus far been 32 cosponsors that have joined Senator Paul in his quest to inspect the Fed’s books.

4. He has pledged to bring an end to the failed “War on Drugs.”

For decades, the US has spent billions of dollars prosecuting and incarcerating drug offenders, ruining lives and wasting valuable resources in the process. Rand Paul thinks that it’s about time for a change to the policies laid out by President Nixon and President Reagan, which seem to include simply jailing drug users without thought for the larger repercussions. In March, Senator Paul joined with Senate Democrats Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to introduce the CARERS Act, which would legalize medical marijuana on the federal level and “reschedule” marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule II, thereby allowing for more research into possible medical benefits.

5. He has remained a staunch defender of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 Senator Paul made his name in 2013 with a thirteen-hour filibuster made in response to the possibility of Americans being executed with Due Process rights. When stating his opinions on any number of government matters, Paul always seems to link his positions back to a belief in the Constitution and a broader understanding of liberty. He does so when discussing policy distinctions, like the perils of indefinite detention, as well as when he has critiqued procedure, like the numerous executive orders by the Obama Administration, including those on immigration and war against ISIS.

6. He has fought against the surveillance state and the NSA.
 

Ending government surveillance and unreasonable searches and seizures has been another area where Senator Paul has become one of the leading voices. So principled in his position, Paul even voted against a bill which would have ended bulk collection of phone data, but also extended the USA PATRIOT Act. A common refrain of Paul’s stump speeches has been that when it comes to the NSA spying on Americans without a specific warrant, “the phone records of United States citizens are none of their damn business.”

 7. He wishes to reduce such tax burdens as much as possible.

 In addition to eliminating the IRS, Paul has spoken in favor of instituting a flat tax of 17% (or perhaps even lower). His plan would also eliminate the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax, and capital gains, dividends and interest would also be tax-free at the individual level. In the Senate, he teamed with Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to propose cutting taxes at the corporate level, therefore giving companies an incentive to bring their assets back into the country from offshore tax havens. At CPAC in February, Paul promised to propose the largest tax cut in American history.

 

8. He has been a leading voice on the topic of criminal justice reform.

 

Senator Paul has long spoken about the disparate impacts that the current criminal justice system has on poor and minority Americans. Last year, Paul partnered with Cory Booker (D-NJ) to propose the REDEEM Act, which would lessen criminal burdens on non-violent and juvenile offenders. The legislation would allow for “youthful mistakes” to serve as teaching points rather than life-ruining events. Paul has also spoken in favor of reforming mandatory minimum sentencing and bringing an end to corruption in civil asset forfeiture programs.

9. He wants to end the entitled and unaccountable attitudes of career politicians and bureaucrats.

 

When politicians are not held responsible for their actions, the threat of tyranny becomes greater. Many aspiring legislators speak in favor of term limits during their first campaigns, and conclude doing so once they have comfortably ensured a lifetime in Washington. However, Senator Paul has talked about the issue since he began his Senate campaign in 2009 and continues to do so to this day. He has also repeatedly spoken in favor of and introduced the “Read the Bills” Act, which would require some measure of deliberation from legislators. Perhaps most interestingly, Paul has also stated his desire for a Constitutional Amendment which would mandate that no law be applied to US Citizens which is not equally applied to Congress.

10. He wants to bring an end to crony capitalism and corporatism.

 No issue receives as universal disdain in all ideological circles as much as corporate welfare. Both President Bush and President Obama approved of monstrous “bail-outs,” despite their supposed ideologies (Bush, the “fiscal conservative,” and Obama, “champion of the middle-class”) being in direct conflict with such actions. When it comes to the budget, Senator Paul has stated that any cuts should begin with an end to all corporate welfare. By facing this topic in a bold manner, which no other potential candidates have, Paul shows himself to be one of the very few advocates for a true free market system.