Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wants to cut all U.S. foreign aid to Egypt and Libya following this week’s deadly attacks on American embassies and consulates in those countries. Sen. Paul had previously put forth legislation stripping U.S. foreign aid to Pakistan, after that country imprisoned a Pakastani doctor who helped the U.S. military locate terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.
Tuesday’s attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya claimed the lives of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. Sen. Paul says he spoke to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about the foreign aid issue Wednesday night. Reid has been asking Senators to pass a $1 billion jobs bill for veterans.
Paul says his legislation would strip Pakistan, Egypt, and Libya of all $4 billion in foreign aid sent to them each year, redirecting half of that to the veterans’ job bill, with the other half going toward deficit reduction.
Speaking Thursday afternoon to WKU Public Radio, Sen. Paul said he believes "Americans are outraged at countries that say they are our allies and then treat us with disrespect and disdain, countries that have received billions in dollars in taxpayer money and then don't even bother to protect our embassies."
"In Egypt, the news reports were that Egyptian officials called our embassy to say 'the mob is coming,' but nobody showed up to defend the embassy. That's not a sign of a civilized country that has received over $60 billion in American aid," said Paul, a Republican from Bowling Green.
Sen. Paul told WKU Public Radio Reid has so far refused to allow a vote on the measure stripping foreign aid from Egypt, Libya, and Pakistan. Paul says he's willing to hold up all other Senate business until his measure gets an up-or-down vote.