Republican Party News
Featuring coverage of Republican priorities, legislation, and internal debates, this section examines how the party shapes U.S. politics from a conservative perspective.
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Ted Cruz Reverses Trade Position Hours Before Vote
Sen. Ted Cruz switched his position on major trade legislation that expedites presidential trade negotiations, announcing early Tuesday he would vote against the bill just hours before the Senate voted to narrowly pass the deal. The Texas Republican publicized his vote reversal in an op-ed for Breitbart News, citing immigration provisions covered under Trade Promotion…Natalie Johnson -
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Rand Paul Warns GOP Leadership: Don’t Give Us ‘Obamacare Lite’
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tells The Daily Signal that he’s not in favor of a GOP plan to extend Obamacare subsidies for a couple of years if the Supreme Court rules they are unconstitutional in the King v. Burwell case. “By keeping parts of Obamacare and letting it sputter on for awhile and saying we’re just…David Brody -
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Lindsey Graham Introduces Senate Plan to Ban Late-Term Abortions
Getting one step closer to what could be the most significant pro-life victory since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, Sen. Lindsey Graham today introduced a measure in the U.S. Senate that would drastically limit women’s ability to access abortions past a certain point in their pregnancy. The legislation, called the Pain-Capable Unborn…Kelsey Bolar -
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Senator Rand Paul Cracks Down on Government Waste and Corporate Welfare
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management will hold a hearing on “Wasteful Spending in the Federal Government.” Romina Boccia, the Grover M. Hermann Research Fellow in Federal Budgetary Affairs and Research Manager at The Heritage Foundation, will testify on eliminating wasteful government spending by cutting corporate welfare. Corporate welfare, one form of crony capitalism, redistributes taxpayer resources to well-connected interest groups, rather…Amber Athey -
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Rand Paul Returns to New Hampshire With an Anti-Washington Message
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., celebrated what he characterized as a small victory against the government’s bulk collection of metadata at the grand opening of his Manchester campaign office. “It wasn’t a complete victory, but we did send a message to the president. The court told him it was illegal, and last week Congress told…Kate Scanlon -
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Conservatives Accuse Mitch McConnell of Playing Politics With Debate Over NSA ‘Spying’ Program
House conservatives today accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of playing politics with the 2015 USA Freedom Act, a measure designed to scale back the government’s mining of personal data in the post-9/11 era. “I believe Mitch McConnell supports the USA Freedom Act,” Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., told reporters today at a panel event on…Kelsey Bolar -
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At Town Hall Event, Rand Paul Makes Case for Limited Government
Londonderry, N.H.—During a town hall event in New Hampshire today, 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul said there are two arguments for keeping government small—the “liberty argument” and the “efficiency argument.” “The liberty argument was put forward by Thomas Paine; he said ‘government is a necessary evil,’” Paul said. “Oh, that sounds terrible, he’s saying…Kate Scanlon -
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Lindsey Graham on Radical Islam: ‘I’m Going to Stand Up to These Thugs’
DES MOINES, Iowa—In an interview with Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican says he’ll announce his intentions about a presidential campaign either next month or in June. But whenever he decides, Graham has a clear message for voters: “Security through strength.” >>> Update: Graham declared his candidacy for president June 1 in his hometown…David Brody -
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Rep. Jim Jordan: Export-Import Bank Is Today’s ‘Bridge to Nowhere’
Comparing it to a decade-old example of wasteful spending benefiting special interest groups, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, today criticized the controversial Export-Import Bank by calling it today’s “bridge to nowhere.” “I would argue that special interest spending today is not earmarks. Special interest spending today is these cozy deals that big companies get with the…Melissa Quinn -
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Ted Cruz’s Three-Step Solution to ‘Reignite the Promise of America’
NASHUA, N.H.—Sen. Ted Cruz said America is craving new leadership during his speech at the First in the Nation Summit in New Hampshire today. The Texas Republican, who announced his presidential campaign last month, began his remarks by praising his rivals for the Republican nomination as “an incredible array of conservative leaders.” Later, he shared…Kate Scanlon -
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Who is Rand Paul? He Wants You to Know He’s a Normal Guy
How well do you know Sen. Rand Paul? A lot of his critics think he’s ready to dismantle the federal government until there’s virtually nothing left. But in an interview at his home in Bowling Green, Ky., back in the spring of 2013, he says that’s simply not true. “It’s not that I believe in…David Brody -
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How Rand Paul’s Media Clashes Could Hurt Him With Women Voters
If Sen. Rand Paul wanted to keep his base flying high following Tuesday’s presidential announcement, then he accomplished his goal. Conservatives love it when one of their own takes on the big bad liberal media. But if he wanted to build momentum with undecided voters, especially women, then he failed. This pains me to write…Beverly Hallberg -
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Rand Paul to Media: Ask Democrats If It’s ‘OK to Kill 7-Pound Baby’
In one of his first campaign stops as an official presidential candidate, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was asked about his views on abortion legislation. Paul told reporters, “Why don’t we ask the DNC [Democratic National Committee]: Is it OK to kill a 7-pound baby in the uterus?” During an interview with the Associated Press, Paul…Kate Scanlon -
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Rand Paul’s Vision for America in 14 Sound Bites
Sen. Rand Paul announced his 2016 presidential campaign Tuesday in Louisville, Ky. The Daily Signal pulled together these 14 sound bites from his speech. (All clips are muted; click the speaker button in the lower right to hear audio.) A return to prosperity Opportunity and hope are slipping away We must name our enemy A…Ben Howe -
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Rand Paul Assails Corrupt ‘Washington Machine’ as He Opens White House Bid
Sen. Rand Paul today entered the race for president by urging voters to join him in fighting for “restrained” government and “maximized” freedom. “Too often Republicans have squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine,” @RandPaul says. Asking help from God and “lovers of liberty,” the Kentucky Republican pledged if elected to shut down “the…Ken McIntyre -
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Former Congressman on Rand Paul: ‘Has Done Things I Haven’t Seen a Republican Candidate Do’
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—J.C. Watts , the former Oklahoma congressman, was on hand today for Sen. Rand Paul’s big announcement that he’s running for president. Watts, the college quarterback turned GOP lawmaker, is endorsing the Kentucky Republican and told The Daily Signal in an interview: “I can surely tell you that he has done things that I have not seen…David Brody -
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How Rand Paul ‘Tricks’ His Wife Into Letting Him Run for Office
One of Rand Paul’s biggest attributes on the campaign trail will be his wife, Kelley Paul. She’s well spoken, classy and has more of a softer side that should play well in places likes Iowa and South Carolina. The Daily Signal spoke to both Kelley and Rand Paul at their home in Bowling Green two…David Brody -
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Watch Live: Rand Paul Announces Presidential Bid
Watch as Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky announces his bid to run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Paul is the second Republican to officially launch a campaign, after Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas did so in late March.Daily Signal Staff -
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These 36 Photos of Rand Paul Prove He’s Not Your Average GOP Contender
Always donning millennial-approved Ray Ban sunglasses, seems to prefer turtlenecks to neck ties, not afraid to wear baseball pants to deliver a speech … meet Rand Paul, the latest Republican to announce his official presidential run. A United States senator since 2011, Paul has been vocal over everything from drones, to the National Security Agency,…Kelsey Lucas -
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‘I Am Who I Am’: 3 Questions for Rand Paul
The Daily Signal sent three questions to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and he provided his answers by email over the weekend. “Most Americans have fallen victim to an overzealous federal government.” —@RandPaul Paul’s reply to the second question previews a slogan—Defeat the Washington Machine, Restore the American Dream—he was set to unveil Tuesday in Louisville in announcing he will seek…Ken McIntyre