LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- U.S. Senator Rand Paul joined WDRB Mornings via video conference Thursday to discuss several issues, including ICE protests, the Big Beautiful Bill and a rescinded invitation to the annual Congressional Picnic.

The Kentucky Republican said he was blindsided when he learned that he had been dis-invited from the annual event, calling it sad and pathetic. 

"The Congressional picnic was started by Ronald Reagan," Paul said. "It's actually called the Congressional Picnic because all of Congress is involved, invited with their families, and it's been going on for 40-some-odd years. During President Obama's term, I was a pretty significant critic of President Obama. I filibustered his CIA director for 13 hours, yet President Obama didn't think it was a reason to personally exclude one member of Congress. I think I'm the first member of Congress ever excluded from the Congressional Picnic."

Paul said it "wasn't that I wasn't invited -- I was invited, like everybody else. Then they just decided at the end to disinvite me -- or blackball me -- from the picnic. But I think it's pathetic. It's petty. Childish. And really it demeans the White House and the presidency."

Paul said he and others have been making honest arguments about whether or not the "Big, Beautiful Bill" that they have put forward will add to the debt or not add to the debt. 

"This is an important discussion but to make it petty about, by disinviting my family, including my grandson and my kids who had flown up from Kentucky to be part of the picnic is just -- I don't know, it's a level of pettiness that's not often seen," Paul said.

Not long after Paul's interview with WDRB, Sen. Paul said on X that he is now welcome to attend the White House party after all and posted a screen shot of the president's post which read: 

"Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight. He's the toughest vote in history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn't he be? 

Paul's post said it was a promising sign of things to come, writing "if there's one thing @POTUS and I agree on, it's that my wife is beautiful."  

"Big Beautiful Bill"

The senator said he and the president have had several conversations about the "Big Beautiful Bill." He said he told President Trump he supports the tax cuts, and supports making them permanent. 

"My main objection is that they increase the debt ceiling or the credit line, $5 trillion. And this is extraordinary. This is the largest increase in our debt ceiling in history. And frankly, it's the opposite of what we should do."

Paul compared the issue to giving a 16-year-old a credit card, "and they ran it up to $2,000 and the limit within a month, would you go to them and say 'oh hon, why don't we give you another $10,000 in credit?' No, you would restrict their credit."

Paul said the responsible action would be to gradually raise the debt ceiling and "talk about the reforms necessary, rather than just putting it on the back burner."

ICE Raids and Protests

Sen. Paul said he has been following the protests in Los Angeles and around the country.

"I think my first impression is that I'm appalled by people marching, carrying a foreign flag, carrying a Mexican flag, burning down automobiles, attacking federal troops and attacking federal officers trying to enforce the federal law," Paul said. 

Federal law is supreme, Paul said, adding: "We sent federal troops into Arkansas to prevent the states from segregating students. So there is precedence for federal troops to be involved. My preference still would always be local law enforcement because I think they're better at it, but the local law enforcement including the local government, the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California are saying we're not going to do anything about it and mayhem is ruling." 

He compared the situation to the George Floyd riots in Wisconsin that got out of control. "Having law and order is incredibly important." 

As for the president's tactics, Paul said he agrees with the use of force when necessary. "It depends on exactly what the crime is," he said. "As far as tolerance of arresting people, it's people that have been convicted of violent crimes or felony convictions, and they're also here illegally -- and we're chasing them down wherever they are, including California -- I don't think people are going to object to that too much.

"If it goes beyond that, if they're chasing people down on construction sites or people who work in homes, or people who take care of the elderly, there is a point in which there will be a reaction, including mine. But I think right now I would say that as I watch them arrest people who have committed violent crimes, you know I'm not as up in arms about the tactics. 

Elimination of FEMA

President Trump recently said he plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) agency and have governors be in charge of administering aid to disaster victims. 

Paul said he recently toured Somerset and London, Ky., two towns that were devastated by recent tornadoes.

"The first thing when a tragedy happens like this is that we should try to help the people in tragedy, we should mourn those we lost -- we lost 19, 20 Kentuckians.... So there is a time and place for policy, so I'm happy to talk about policy, but not without first saying that our office is helping people with FEMA, and will help them." 

Paul said it's important to figure out how to finance those efforts. "Everything in government is $2 trillion in the hole. So one of the proposals is to share the expenses between state and federal governments. That doesn't mean we're for less FEMA; it means that part of the payment comes from the state. The state government of Kentucky doesn't have a printing press, they don't have a federal reserve. So there are more limitations and they will have to be more frugal and wise with their spending than they will be in Washington."

Paul said the reason the country is facing such a massive spending deficit is because "we just print up money to pay for it. So that leads to inflation and has led to this $36 trillion debt." 

Sen. Paul from Kentucky said it's still too early to say if he will run for president again. "We'll see what happens over time, but it's too early for me to decide on any of that."

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