Rand Paul: Don’t Trade Liberty for Security, ‘You’ll Wind Up With Neither’

NASHUA, N.H.—Sen. Rand Paul said “we can catch terrorists, we can protect ourselves, and still have our freedom” during a town hall Wednesday in New Hampshire.

Some want Americans to trade “their liberty for security” by continuing to permit surveillance of Americans’ phone records, Paul, R-Ky., said.

“But the truth is, you’ll wind up with neither.”

He believes that the government can prevent terrorism while still protecting civil liberties.

“Why don’t we use the Fourth Amendment?” Paul asked. “Why don’t we take the suspicion, get a judge and get a warrant?”

He emphasized that a judge must only be presented with “suspicion” rather than “proof” in order to get a warrant to investigate a suspected terrorist.

Paul said if the government is looking at everyone’s records, they’ll get “overwhelmed by the information.”

“We don’t have to give up our freedom to protect ourselves.”

.@RandPaul: “I want government to be much smaller. I want it to be constitutional.” pic.twitter.com/PhRHUq45ul

— Kate Scanlon (@scanlon_kate) August 12, 2015

Paul also expressed concern about the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of fetal organs and said he opposes taxpayer funding for the organization.

“In these videos, there was a discussion with a doctor about manipulating babies into a position where they can harvest the baby’s organs and sell them.”

He called the videos “gruesome,” even to some who call themselves pro-choice.

“I personally think there is something special about life,” Paul said.

Paul explained that there are thousands of community health centers where low-income women and men can go for health care.

.@RandPaul calls @CtrMedProgress videos “gruesome,” calls for Planned Parenthood to be defunded. pic.twitter.com/vwwXie1PYi

— Kate Scanlon (@scanlon_kate) August 12, 2015

He also spoke of his 14.5-percent flat rate tax proposal that would leave “billions of dollars” in local communities rather than Washington, D.C.

Leaving money in communities is better than “sending it to Washington and begging them to send some back,” Paul said.

That’s the tax code sitting in the fireplace at this @RandPaul event. #FITN pic.twitter.com/gQaqYS7omI

— Kate Scanlon (@scanlon_kate) August 12, 2015