Rand Paul Gives Inspiring First Speech to Senate Floor

Yesterday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor. Paul first remarked that he will sit at the famous Kentucky legislator Henry Clay’s desk. As the leader of the Senate, Clay was commonly referred to as the “Great Compromiser.” But will Rand Paul be a great compromiser?

He stated that compromise was not always the noble position. In Henry Clay’s case, he wrongly compromised over slavery. Paul noted that “those activist who didn’t compromise – Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass, and Cassius Clay – are heroes because they said slavery was wrong and they would not compromise.”

However, Sen. Paul understands that there will be some compromises that must be made. He urges Senators to make compromises “on where to cut spending and by how much.”

He further stated, “the compromise must be conservatives acknowledging that we can cut military spending and liberals acknowledging that we can cut domestic spending. Freezing domestic spending at 2010 levels does not significantly delay the coming debt crisis and is at best a diversion from the real budgetary cuts that are necessary.”

He said that he would not compromise over any tax increases. Any tax hikes are detrimental to our economy. Sen. Paul made an important point: “the problem we face is not a revenue problem. It is a spending problem. It is spending that is now swollen to nearly a fourth of our economy.”

Watch the video below for more inspiring and memorable quotes: