Rand Paul

Force in Play

Co-leading bipartisan war powers resolution

The US struck an Iranian air-defense device on Qeshm Island on November 6, and President Donald Trump called the operation 'minor.' Iran said its air defenses destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island, while US Central Command described the situation as 'relatively calm.'

Updated 4 days ago

Rule Changes

Voted in favor of the resolution

The Senate voted 47-51 in late September to block a resolution that would have forced the State Department to report on the killings of nine American citizens in the West Bank by Israeli settlers or security forces since 2022. Days later, the New York Times reported that a US Embassy official in Israel suppressed a staff report that said no one had been held accountable for any of the deaths.

Updated Oct 18

Rule Changes

Voted no

Drafted by the late Lindsey Graham and signed into law September 18, the Graham Act lets Trump tariff the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil or natural gas up to 100%. China, India and several European countries are among the largest buyers.

Updated Oct 18

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Voted yes on every war powers vote; part of the four-Republican bloc that passed the resolution in June

The House passed a war powers resolution 215-208 on June 3. The Senate followed 50-48 in late June, the first time both chambers approved such a measure in this conflict. President Trump ignored it, the ceasefire collapsed in July, and the Senate rejected the latest resolution 49-50 on Sept. 24 as the war passed 200 days.

Updated Sep 25

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Blocked Schroyer's confirmation hearing

The White House withdrew Lance Schroyer's nomination to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 17, 2026. The former Oklahoma state trooper's confirmation stalled after Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked a hearing over fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Updated Sep 18

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Voted against administration despite White House pressure

Congress hasn't declared war since 1942, though presidents have ordered 212 military strikes without formal declarations. On January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces raided Venezuela, captured President Nicolás Maduro in his residence, and flew him to New York to face narcoterrorism charges.

Updated May 22

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Calling the tanker seizures a provocation

The U.S. Coast Guard is now chasing a third Venezuela-linked tanker in international waters near Venezuela—under a judicial seizure order. Two other tankers have already been stopped in the past 11 days, including one dramatic helicopter boarding that the administration amplified on social media.

Updated May 15

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading congressional critic of boat strikes and Venezuela operation

On December 5, 2025, the Trump administration released a 33-page National Security Strategy declaring a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The document formally revives the 19th-century idea of the Western Hemisphere as a U.S. sphere of influence and promises to reassert American preeminence across the Americas.

Updated May 10