Rand Paul increases pressure to halt Pakistan aid, holds up vote on judicial nominee

[jct74]

Rand Paul Increases Pressure to Halt Pakistan Aid

By Niels Lesniewski
Roll Call Staff
July 20, 2012, 11:42 a.m.

Upping the ante in his bid to cut off U.S. aid to Pakistan, Sen. Rand Paul is holding up a vote on an unrelated and otherwise noncontroversial judicial nominee.

The Kentucky Republican has been pushing for a Senate vote to terminate all aid to Pakistan unless authorities there release Dr. Shakil Afridi, who provided information that helped lead to the successful raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Paul said Thursday that he is seeking information on why a judicial panel in Pakistan delayed Afridi’s appeal of his conviction on charges related to assistance he provided to the CIA. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Paul announced his intention to stall Senate business in a floor speech, also pledging to push ahead with forcing a vote on his proposal next week if he does not receive a satisfactory answer to his inquiry.

read more:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/rand_pa...-216311-1.html

[MrWalker]

Hes become a libertarian for hire.

[jct74]

Rand Paul Pushes on Aid to Pakistan
Unusual Maneuver Could Force Vote to Block Funds Over Imprisoned Doctor

By Niels Lesniewski
Roll Call Staff
July 23, 2012, Midnight

Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) long-shot bid to cut off U.S. aid to Pakistan may appear quixotic, but the House is already moving in his direction.

A skeptic of foreign aid, Paul has cited the current budget deficit when criticizing giving additional money to the country.

“We’re rewarding bad behavior with more money, with more of your money, money we don’t even have,” Paul said. “We have a $1 trillion deficit and we’re giving them an extra $1 billion.”

Senate leaders have resisted repeated efforts by Paul to hold a vote on his proposal to block any foreign assistance to the country over the imprisonment of Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor behind a CIA-backed vaccine clinic that was designed to gather DNA samples from people in Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

read more:
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/58_9/...1.html?pos=hln