US Senate Votes to Continue Foreign Aid to Libya, Egypt and Pakistan
After months of championing the issue of ending foreign aid, Sen. Rand Paul succeeded in his filibuster mission to bring his legislation to a vote. No surprise, the bill failed tonight by a vote of 81 to 10.
Senators voting in support of Rand Paul’s bill to limit foreign aid: DeMint, Grassley, Shelby, Paul, Toomey, Moran, Lee, Roberts, Risch and Crapo. The rest of the Senate voted to continue foreign aid to Libya, Egypt and Pakistan. (See list below.)
On the next vote, Senator Paul stood alone, 90-1, on a vote to increase pressure on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Paul stated before the vote that, while he opposed Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, this bill would be a vote for preemptive war.
A synopsis of Rand Paul’s filibuster.
Sen. Paul’s bill, S. 3576, called for a prohibition of U.S. aid funds to the governments of Egypt, Libya and Pakistan contingent upon the release to U.S. authorities the aggressors who attacked our embassy and consulate in Egypt and Libya, respectively, and the release of Dr. Shakil Afridi, currently held by the Pakistani government.
Senator Paul predicted his bill would fail because the Senate is ignoring the will of Americans:
I will probably lose this vote, but if you ask your friends. If you go home and ask your friends should we be sending money to countries that disrespect us, that burn our flag, I think you will find 80 percent to 90 percent of the American people wouldn’t send another penny…That may be why Congress has about a 10 percent approval rating.
It will be interesting to see how this vote will effect the reelection of the Senators who voted to continue foreign aid.
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*List of Senators voting to continue foreign aid:
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Blunt (R-MO)
Brown (D-OH)
Brown (R-MA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coats (R-IN)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Coons (D-DE)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Durbin (D-IL)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Graham (R-SC)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Johnson (D-SD)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Portman (R-OH)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)
Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting – 9
Boozman (R-AR)
Boxer (D-CA)
Burr (R-NC)
Heller (R-NV)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kirk (R-IL)
Murray (D-WA)
Rubio (R-FL)
Vitter (R-LA)
iroots.org will continue to cover the issues surrounding foreign aid. Your donation will help us to expose the Senators who support these unconstitutional measures and oppose their reelection.
I don’t want to be a pain or anything, but this article seems pretty one sided and slanted. I hope everyone here reads all articles with a critical mind, even the ones on sites created by critical thinkers. Did the other senators give reason for their vote at all? Does the other side have an argument at all? If so, why not present it here?
shared and sick of this slaughtering of Americans and rough shod type of government!!!
Will you?
People in South Carolina need to remember Lindsey Graham voted to continue giving foreign aid to these countries.
The only thing missing in this informative article is it should have
shown the email address of those who didn’t support this non-contiunation fo foreign aid.
It would have great to let us send emails to each of them — showing our personal disagreement. In fact with many such articles they should alwasy show the email addresses so we could make individual contacts to them, which should make an impact.
Kristan Gillibrand voted to give $1.6 BILLION to Egypt and Millions to LIBYA and PAKISTAN …A Vote for WENDY LONG FOR U.S.SENATE in New York will be a vote for Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech and those freedoms which we hold self- evident . Gillbrand is a rubber stamp for Obama and endorses the policies of the Obama administration. Did she vote to deny the security requested by Amassador Chris Stevens and the Marines and Navy Seal at the American embassy ? Did she agree with the lies spouted by Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice when she went on televison talk shows and spoke before the U.N. blaming the ” protests ” on a ridiculous video posted on the Internet. Did Gillibrand from New York ever think of the September 11 date as a warning for possible attacks against American interests world-wide…… Did Gillibrand even think ?Did Gillibrand join with New York Congressman Peter King demanding the immediate resignation of Susan Rice ? Where is the outrage for this horrific attack on Americans ? New Yorkers…. vote Gillibrand OUT OF OFFICE !
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