I share the gentlewoman's desire for the United States to be a leader. It is just that my concept of leadership is different. We have troops in 100 countries of the world. That does not have very much to do with our national security. I am for neutrality. I want to be friends with everybody. Some say this is an isolationist viewpoint. It has nothing to do with isolationism, if we combine it with free trade. This whole notion that we are isolating and drawing back, yes, we would like to draw some of our troops back, maybe because we are not authorized, it is not part of our national security, we do not have the funds, and it gets us into trouble. Those are the reasons why the American people are sick and tired of all this adventurism overseas.
Rand Paul: “I share the gentlewoman's desire for the United States to be a leader. It is just that my concept of leadership is…”
On the recordJune 4, 1997
Source
govinfo.govEditor's note · Context
Discussing U.S. military presence abroad and advocating for a neutral foreign policy.
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