Rand Paul: Congress is not the angry place depicted, and together we get a lot done

As I travel across Kentucky, I’m often asked if Congress is as angry a place as the media depicts.

The answer is, of course not. Sure, Republicans and Democrats disagree on many subjects, but our relations with each other are more often than not cordial and respectful, nothing like the vitriol of the internet.

In fact, because we know our areas of agreement are limited, we try hard to find conversations concerning areas we can agree upon.

Some of my most significant accomplishments in the Senate have come from reaching across the aisle and working with Democrats. For example, I recently teamed up with Senator Cory Booker to end mandatory animal testing for new drugs, and just last month the Senate unanimously passed our bill.

I’ve been a physician far longer than I’ve been a Senator and helping people has always been a core value of mine. So when I first ran for office, I promised to shake things up and write Washington a prescription for positive change. I promised to offer bold solutions to our problems, whether that meant working with Democrats or standing up for what’s right, even if the fight would get lonely sometimes.

Some of the areas where I’ve made great strides have been on issues Republicans typically shy away from, like a realist foreign policy view, criminal-justice reform, and protecting your privacy.

In addition to being a leading voice for bringing our troops home from far-flung conflicts, I’ve teamed up with progressive Democrat Senator Chris Murphy to block arms sales to countries like Saudi Arabia because of their wartime blockade of Yemen that has led to mass starvation.

And on the issue of privacy, I have regularly spoken out against the government’s surveillance programs and have worked with Democrat Senator Ron Wyden to require the government get a judicial warrant before searching an American’s phone. One of our recent bills, the “4th Amendment is Not for Sale Act,” closes the legal loophole that allows the government to buy Americans’ personal information without a warrant.

Perhaps the most significant area of my bipartisan efforts has been justice reform. From day one of my time in the Senate I have been committed to fixing our broken justice system and I have introduced and cosponsored over two dozen bipartisan bills addressing these issues.

I’ve teamed up with Senator Cory Booker many times on bills like the “RESET Act” to address the issue of mandatory minimum sentencing. I successfully pushed for the “First Step Act” to become law. And, in the wake of the Breonna Taylor shooting, I introduced the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act,” which would ban no-knock warrants nationwide. Most recently, I again worked with Senator Booker to strengthen and pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill, making lynching a federal crime.

In addition, I have introduced legislation to protect pregnant women in federal custody, which helps guarantee their health and safety and give birth in humane conditions. My proposals would bring much-needed reform to a system that often disproportionately punishes minorities and low-income Americans while also providing second chances to those who have made mistakes in the past but are willing to turn their lives around.

I’ve also worked with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on the Military Justice Improvement Act to better address and professionalize how the military handles and prosecutes serious crimes like sexual assault.

But, just like I work with both sides of the aisle, I also hold both sides accountable. Many know me to be quite an outspoken critic of wasteful spending, and its because I have Kentuckians’ best interests in mind. Every dollar we waste or send overseas is a dollar that could have been spent on roads and bridges here at home.

Every time your government tries to spend its way out of a problem, I’m there to propose a solution that not only funds our needs, but also does it in a fiscally responsible way. Take for example my recent legislation that would allow unspent COVID-19 funds to be used for federal disaster relief.

My number one priority is putting Kentucky first and doing the best job I can to represent all Kentuckians, no matter what it takes. Whether I’m working across the aisle with Democrats or taking a stand to protect your tax dollars, I’m truly honored to be the one that gets to fight for you every day in Washington, and I look forward to continuing my efforts on your behalf.

Dr. Rand Paul is the junior U.S. Senator from Kentucky.