Senator Rand Paul walked out of a Homeland Security Committee hearing earlier this week, disgusted with Democrat Chair Gary Peters for repeatedly blocking GOP amendments during markup for the Fire Grants and Safety Act.
The controversy arose when Peters offered a ‘second-degree amendment’ that effectively undoes an amendment already put forth by Paul or his fellow Republicans.
The Kentucky senator argued he had already done so.
“If this is the way you’re going to run the committee, I would suggest that Republicans leave. I don’t see why we should stick around if you’re going to make up the rules,” Paul fumed.
WATCH: @RandPaul walks out in middle of hearing after Democrats block his amendment to forbid grants to fire departments that fired unvaccinated employees.pic.twitter.com/sBe9GwymrG
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) March 16, 2023
RELATED: Rand Paul Hammers ‘Emasculated’ Republicans For Selling Out to Democrats on Spending Deal
Senator Rand Paul Walks Out of Hearing, Encourages Other Republicans to Follow
At issue were the many second-degree amendments put forth by Peters to Paul’s amendments, something he claims is the first time he’s witnessed “on every one of our amendments.”
One such example was an amendment Paul introduced that would make any fire department that fired employees for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine ineligible for federal grants.
Peters countered that such an amendment would require audits and reports, wrapping such efforts in red tape. Democrats unanimously voted to approve the amendment, while Republicans all opposed it.
Watch Dems stymie my amendment to forbid grants to fire departments that fired the unvaxxed. pic.twitter.com/2e0Kg1lk77
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) March 16, 2023
In another example, Paul pushed an amendment to ban funding for “gain of function” research on coronaviruses in Wuhan, China, and other laboratories.
Peters laughably countered that funding be banned “from being provided to a Chinese fire department,” something Paul aptly observed “doesn’t make any sense.”
Peters quickly offered a second-degree amendment that changed the language to prohibit any money in the Fire Grants and Safety Act “from being provided to a Chinese fire department.” … WTF
— TheFriendlyGhost (@xfriendlyghost) March 16, 2023
Kyrsten Sinema Tries to Play Peacemaker
After Paul encouraged his fellow Republicans to leave the hearing, Senator Kyrsten Sinema tried to cool things down in the room.
Sinema (I-AZ) suggested, “We all take a couple minutes, lower the temperature, just figure out the procedure.”
“There’s no need for us to turn this committee hearing into a partisan, ugly place like we’ve seen in other committees,” she added.
While Sinema’s attempt to cool things down was admirable, it won’t change the fact that Democrats have become hyper-partisan dirtbags. https://t.co/5QKzsrRv91
— Keith Gordon (@GordonKeithm) March 16, 2023
Paul, however, was having none of Peters’ continued efforts to actually turn the hearing into ‘a partisan, ugly place.’
“I, for one, won’t stay here and recommend that no Republican stay here if we’re going to have third-degree amendments that only the majority gets to offer,” he said.
Paul, as evidenced by the above video, did eventually walk out of the hearing.
Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and James Lankford (R-OK) remained behind and voted against Peters’s amendment, though they were eventually passed.
⬇️Fact ⬇️
“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is trying to bring a sense of normalcy and rationale back into the system that supports our first responders.” https://t.co/HniNSNri0C
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) March 16, 2023
Following the walkout, Peters suggested he hopes the pair can work together more professionally in the future, and that Paul might actually present relevant amendments.
“I look forward to working with Sen. Paul and hopefully we can find common ground to go forward,” he said. “Some of the amendments he offered were not germane to the substance of the bill that we were dealing with.”
That’s right. The guy who amended a ban on ‘gain of function’ funding to a ban on funding to “a Chinese fire department” is criticizing the substance of Paul’s amendments.
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