Paul responds to McConnell, says opposition to Ukraine aid is ‘common sense’

Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), one of 11 Senate Republicans to vote against the $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, responded to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) comments describing Paul as an “isolationist” following his vote against the package, saying his opposition is “common sense.”

“Opposing big government spending is not isolationism, it’s common sense. Our country faces an inflation crisis and adding more debt now is a mistake,” Paul said in a statement.

Paul was responding to remarks that McConnell made during a Fox News interview on Thursday, in which he claimed that Paul represented a “tiny percentage of” Senate Republicans while speaking about the Republicans who voted against the Ukrainian aid package.

Paul was among 11 Republicans to vote against the $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), John Boozman (Ark.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.).

“My colleague Sen. Paul has always been basically an isolationist. He’s proud of it and believes that’s where America ought to be. That is a tiny percentage of the Senate Republican Conference. We only had 11 votes against the package. I predict we will have even fewer votes opposed to the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO,” McConnell told Fox News anchor Bret Baier.

“There’s always been a strand of isolationism in our party, but it’s not anywhere near the dominant view, which was expressed in the vote that we had today and will be expressed again when we vote on the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO,” he added.  

Still, the aid package had overwhelming support by both Republicans and Democrats in both chambers in Congress. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation soon.