FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 2, 2018
 Contact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) applauded the Trump administration for its decision to maintain its block on sending $255 million in military aid to Pakistan and reiterated his support for President Trump’s tweet on Monday that Pakistan has given the U.S. “nothing but lies & deceit” in exchange for billions of aid, with the President declaring, “No more!” 

“I cannot in good conscience look away as America crumbles at home, and politicians tax us to send the money to corrupt and duplicitous regimes abroad. I wholeheartedly agree with President Trump on this. The U.S. has given $34 billion in direct aid and military reimbursements to Pakistan since 2002. That is not putting America first, and I will introduce new legislation in the coming days to stop aid to Pakistan,” said Dr. Paul.

As part of his efforts to stop government’s waste and abuse of the American people’s money, Dr. Paul has long worked to end taxpayer support to Pakistan.

In July 2012, Dr. Paul introduced an amendment to limit foreign assistance to Pakistan unless it released Dr. Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. track down and kill Osama bin Laden.

Dr. Paul introduced another amendment in September 2012 to strike the $4 billion-a-year foreign aid to Pakistan, Egypt, and Libya, which would have then provided an additional $2 billion to the $1 billion jobs bill for veterans and applied the remaining $2 billion to reduce the federal deficit.

Later that month, Dr. Paul secured a vote on standalone legislation cutting the aid contingent upon factors including the release to U.S. authorities of the aggressors who attacked our embassy and consulate in Egypt and Libya, respectively, and the release of Dr. Afridi, with nine other senators joining Dr. Paul.
 
In March 2016, Dr. Paul forced the Senate to vote on the sale of $700 million in F-16s to Pakistan, with 23 other senators joining Dr. Paul in opposition to the sale. 

Additionally, Dr. Paul has repeatedly urged Pakistan to reform laws that have led to the targeting of religious minorities, including introducing S. Res. 109 last April to call on Pakistan to end the unjust imprisonment of Pakistani Christian Aasiya Noreen, commonly referred to as Asia Bibi.

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