Rand Paul is doing what Rand Paul does best, standing his ground when everyone else in Washington is tripping over themselves to “just get something done,” even if that “something” includes tacking on unrelated junk that hurts real people back home. In this case, the junk is a provision in the bipartisan funding deal that takes aim at hemp-based products like Delta-8, one of Kentucky’s biggest new agricultural success stories. And naturally, when Paul refuses to rubber-stamp a bill that hurts his state’s economy, the D.C. crowd starts clutching their pearls.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is out there saying Paul is “blocking” efforts to fast-track the bill. But Paul’s response is classic and correct: he’s not holding up anything. The Senate has fixed procedural timelines, and all he’s doing is refusing to give unanimous consent to something that has no business being in a government funding bill in the first place. In other words, if the Senate wants to reopen the government, they can do it—just stop trying to sneak in provisions that punish Kentucky farmers.
Let’s not forget, hemp was supposed to be one of those bipartisan success stories. The 2018 Farm Bill, which President Trump signed, legalized industrial hemp and gave struggling farmers a new way to make a living. Kentucky jumped on board early, revitalizing rural areas that had been left behind by tobacco’s decline. Then along came products like Delta-8, which, love them or hate them, created jobs, boosted small businesses, and helped thousands of Kentuckians earn a paycheck without relying on government handouts. Now the same Washington crowd that promoted hemp in the first place wants to micromanage it to death.
Paul’s critics love to paint him as an obstructionist, but let’s be honest: what he’s actually doing is the job senators are supposed to do—read the bills, question the fine print, and protect their state’s interests. Too many lawmakers treat “bipartisan” as a magic word that justifies any deal, no matter how bloated or unrelated. If this language about hemp really has “nothing to do with reopening the government,” as Paul says, then it doesn’t belong in the bill. Simple as that.
So, while Washington insiders complain that Paul is “dragging things out,” what’s really happening is that one senator is daring to say no to the typical backroom deal that punishes the people who actually work for a living. If standing up for Kentucky’s farmers and small business owners is inconvenient for the Senate’s schedule, maybe that says more about the Senate than about Rand Paul.
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