Tuesday at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee on global violence against women, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) demanded America “use our might to speak for those who cannot.” He also proposed to stop sending foreign aid to countries that persecute Christians and woman.
“The U.S. taxpayer has forked over billions of dollars to the Pakistani government, which condones the persecution of Christians,” Paul argued. “Many countries that receive U.S. foreign aid have laws that officially discriminate against Christians. Persecution of women is wrong. Persecution of Christians is wrong. Persecution of women or Christians in the name of religion must be stood up to. American power, if it is to have value in the world, must be used as a force against persecution. Our aid money, for example, should never go to countries that persecute women or Christians, not one dime. But today, it does.”
“Some say our foreign aid protects American power,” he added. “These same people, however, resist attaching conditions to foreign aid. Why would we send aid to countries whose laws punish the free exercise of religion? I believe no aid should go to countries that legally discriminate against women or Christians. We are being taxed to send money to countries that are not only intolerant of Christians, but openly hostile. Christians are imprisoned and threatened with death for their beliefs.”
“Our job as the powerful, is to use our might to speak for those who cannot whether that is the bully pulpit, our foreign aid, our State Department, our immigration policy, or our trade policy, all avenues should be open to us in solving this worldwide problem.”
Follow Pam Key On Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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