Immigration
We need new immigration laws immediately. These need to lay out exactly what rights all immigrants have and who will be allowed in and who will be deported. This should include a pathway to legal status of some sort and should be based on facts and data but should also be compassionate.
Will you author a serious bill to begin this process?
- Currently, undocumented immigrants live in fear, whether they have committed a crime or not. We have people in our organization working with immigrants and we know, first hand, how frightened they are. America is not a place where people should be living in fear of the government. We are a nation of laws and we need one to deal with this.
- A new Trump policy states that immigration officials may separate children from parents during the often weeks-long process of review. This can be very traumatic for children. Do you support this?
- We know immigration reform is difficult. Americans love difficult and challenging jobs. Do yours!
The Russian Issue
We agree that leaks and news stories about conversations between Russian officials and Trump staff are distracting. Yet, if true, they comprise a real and present danger to the very foundation of our democracy.
- Demand that Trump and his staff, both current and during the campaign, step up and state exactly when they spoke to Russian officials, and what were the nature of those conversations. If there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to hide and we too want to move on.
- If they will not voluntarily disclose this information, will you demand public hearings on this issue immediately?
- This is especially important in the case of Jeff Sessions. As the top law enforcement agent in the U.S., faith in his veracity and willingness to enforce the law is essential. If he perjured himself, he should resign.
Town Hall Meetings
Will you hold a town hall meeting in Lexington in a large venue? When?
We need an opportunity to ask questions and get straight answers. We are not getting answers from our letters, calls or office visits. Talk to us!
Will (Senator Paul) support the confirmation of Seema Verma as Director of CMS?
Seema Verma, a former health care consultant and aide to Steve Pence in Indiana, is now the nominee to head the Center for Medicaid and Medicare services, (CMS).
- She has no experience running a large organization of any kind, let alone one that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, Chip and the ACA.
- Verma is primarily known for being the architect of the “Healthy Indiana” plan, which requires the use of Health Savings Accounts, a special account that helps rich people avoid paying taxes but does very little for low- and moderate-income Americans who struggle to save up for rent, never mind healthcare. She also favors capping Medicaid funding for states, which would make massive cuts to the program and reduce coverage for millions of Americans. Verma even said she didn’t think basic maternity care should be required in insurance plans. Instead, she supports allowing insurance companies to charge extra for maternity care. Our infant mortality rate is already higher than nearly all other developed countries. How would this affect that?
Info on CMS and what it does.
CMS oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Hippa. It is an agency of the Cabinet for Health and Human Services.
Will (Senator Paul) support the confirmation of Rick Perry for Energy Secretary?
Update: The senate confirmed Rick Perry as Energy Secretary on March 2, 2017.
Governor Perry has supported the elimination of the Department of Energy. Plus, until his nomination, Perry has failed to show even a basic understanding of the primary function of the Department. Maintaining our nuclear stockpile and overseeing nuclear proliferation efforts is far too important of a task for an unqualified political appointee.
- Our last two energy secretaries have been nuclear physicists, one with a Nobel Prize. With a Bachelors’ degree in agronomy, is Rick Perry qualified to oversee our entire nuclear arsenal?
- Until his confirmation hearings, Governor Perry has been a climate Change denier. Now he says “some” of it “may” be human caused How can we move forward with renewable energy, and keep pace with China, India and even parts of Africa, who are moving firmly ahead with renewable, if we continue to think, as Governor Perry apparently does, that we can keep using fossil fuels well into the future.
Info on the Energy Cabinet and what it does
The Energy Cabinet has a $30 billion budget promoting scientific and technological innovation to advance the nation’s energy security. A key part of the department’s mission has been clean and advanced energy technologies, via grants for research and development, and the work of 17 national laboratories. The Energy Department was to be the linchpin of the U.S. pledge to Mission Innovation, a global initiative involving 20 nations aimed at doubling public clean energy research and development. The program, spearheaded by President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande with support from tech entrepreneur Bill Gates, is seen as a critical step in fulfilling the transition to a low-carbon energy future that nations committed to in the Paris agreement.
Does (Senator Paul) support Trump’s new proposals on immigration? How does Senator Paul stand on these specific proposals?
- Merit based immigration that would favor those immigrants who are highly educated or have wealth. What percentage of present day Americans had ancestors who would have passed this test?
- The VOICE office Trump proposed adding this office to the Department for Homeland Security VOICE stands for Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. The President said, “We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests.” How do those people deserve or need more help than those who suffer crime at the hands of criminals born here? Is this not a propaganda tool to demean immigrants who have actually been shown to commit less crime than native born Americans?