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Mike Lee’s Viral Video of Rand Paul’s ‘Thieves in the Night’ Speech Passes 25m Views

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Protecting Social Security from the Thieves in the NightThis is how it happens. Last night while you were sleeping, the Senate voted to steal $150 billion dollars from the Social Security Trust Fund. I joined 34 of my colleagues in a vote to prevent this raid. I would like to thank Senator Rand Paul for leading the fight to protect to Social Security from the thieves in Washington, who seem to think that if they steal from the American people at night while they are sleeping that they will get away with it. I was proud to vote with Senator Paul on his point of order that would have protected Social Security, and I ask you to help me shine a light on what Washington has tried to hide from you in the darkness of night. If everyone who sees this message shares it, it will reach millions of Americans. As someone who has been fighting for years to reform our broken government in Washington, I know it is exhausting, I sympathize with your frustration, and I understand your impatience. But don’t give up. Washington wants you to give up. Just remember, a vote to raid social security in the middle of the night in a desperate attempt to perpetuate an unsustainable spending addiction isn’t a sign of strength. It is a sign of weakness.

Posted by United States Senator Mike Lee on Friday, October 30, 2015

 

Last Friday, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted a video of a 3 a.m. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) speech on the floor of the Senate calling for senators to oppose the bipartisan budget deal before it was signed into law by President Obama earlier this week.

Lee posted the video, titled “Protecting Social Security from the Thieves in the Night,” and urged his Facebook followers to share it.

“Last night while you were sleeping the Senate voted to steal $150 billion dollars from the Social Security Trust Fund. I joined 34 of my colleagues in a vote to prevent this raid. I would like to thank Senator Rand Paul for leading the fight to protect to Social Security from the thieves in Washington, who seem to think that if they steal from the American people at night while they are sleeping that they will get away with it. I was proud to vote with Senator Paul on his point of order that would have protected Social Security, and I ask you to help me shine a light on what Washington has tried to hide from you in the darkness of night,” said Sen. Lee.

He added, “If everyone who sees this message shares it, it will reach millions of Americans. As someone who has been fighting for years to reform our broken government in Washington, I know it is exhausting, I sympathize with your frustration, and I understand your impatience. But don’t give up. Washington wants you to give up.”

[RELATED: Exclusive: Ron Paul Talks Media Bias, Rand Paul Campaign]

Lee’s video has been shared over 1.3 million times and counting, and has been viewed by over 25 million people.

Lee said, “This Facebook post reached over 60 million people — more people than watched all three Republican presidential debates combined. For the simple fact that the American people are frustrated by what is happening in Washington.”

According to Fox News, the viral video’s popularity is “not far from a Facebook record” that “was reportedly set this year by the White House when a video from the Correspondents’ Dinner garnered 27 million views in just 36 hours.”

[RELATED: Rand Paul: ‘Bernie Sanders Is Offering You Free Stuff’]

In the speech, Paul criticized the budget plan and said, “Do you know what? If you’re going to steal money from Social Security, if you’re going to take money from Social Security and you’re going to spend it on other concerns… People will say, ‘Oh, well we’re going to spend it on disability.’ Well, the Social Security fund was put forward as a pension plan. You have an obligation to those who put the money in. So stealing money from people who will be getting money in the future to pay for immediate concerns is robbing Peter to pay Paul.“

Politics, US

US Debt Jumps A Record $328 Billion In One Day – Debt Now Over $17 Trillion

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On Thursday, the United States debt spiked $328 billion, setting a new record. Our debt has now officially surpassed $17 trillion.

Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 4.41.47 PM

The previous high of $238 billion was set two years ago.

The Washington Times reports that the sudden increase can be attributed to the government’s “replenishing its stock of ‘extraordinary measures’ – federal funds it borrowed from over the last five months as it tried to avoid bumping into the debt ceiling.”

Since May, the federal debt barely increased, staying right around $16.7 trillion. But Congress’s recent deal, which went into effect on Wednesday, completely suspended the government’s borrowing limit.

When the debt ceiling increased on Wednesday, the Treasury Department was subsequently able to refund pensions and programs that had been unfunded since May.

The government can now borrow as much money as it needs to until February 7 (the deadline set by Congress).

During the government shutdown, House Republicans fought to attach some limits to the debt increase, but eventually gave in and accepted the Senate’s deal. Not one spending cut was included in that deal.

Democrats argued that the “clean” debt ceiling suspension does not encourage out-of-control spending.

It may not encourage sky-high spending, but it certainly allows for it.

Your thoughts on the rising debt? Tell us in the comment section below.

Politics, US

BREAKING: House GOP Caves On Debt Ceiling (UPDATE)

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WASHINGTON– GOP House leadership just finished a press conference where they announced they will allow the debt ceiling to be increased for the next 6 weeks.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Republican Conference Chair, provided opening statements. “We’re going to offer legislation that will allow a temporary increase in the debt ceiling that will allow us time to continue this conversation on the shutdown,” says Rodgers.

Rodgers says that democrats have been unwilling to talk and this is causing a delay in reopening the government.

Rodgers concludes, “We hope that the president will choose negotiation over crisis, leadership over inaction, and dialogue over silence.”

Speaker Boehner says, “The president is fond of saying that no one gets everything they want in negotiations, and I agree with that. However, over the course of the last ten days we’ve been trying to talk with our democratic counterparts– they don’t want to talk. The president doesn’t want to talk.”

Boehner points out that every bill the House has passed to reopen the government the Senate rejects. Boehner says that they will allow a temporary increase in the debt ceiling as long as the president is willing to actually attend conference with them and negotiate to reopen the government.

Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, says the debt ceiling increase is only temporary and is in exchange for President Obama’s and Senate Majority Leader Reid’s willingness to negotiate. Cantor says that he is thankful that the president is finally willing to sit down and talk.

The question is now whether or not the president and democrats will actually negotiate. If history is to replay itself then the answer is most likely no; as the House has played this card before and democratic leadership simply refuses to negotiate once they have had their demands answered.

Boehner ended with an odd joke- “If ands and buts were candy and nuts every day would be Christmas.”

UPDATE (1)

Obama has rejected the 6 week ceiling deal. Reports from the White House suggest that Obama wanted a longer term ceiling increase.

Politics, US

House Votes To Defund Obamacare, Keeps Government Funded

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The U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday to defund the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, while keeping the rest of the federal government funded through mid-December.

The House, which is controlled by Republicans, voted 230-189 for a bill that would keep the government borrowing after its current authority comes to an end September 30.  Of course, the most controversial part of this measure is that it permanently defunds the Affordable Care Act.

So what does this mean for the nation?  At this point, not much.  The spending bill will now go to the Democrat controlled Senate where Majority Leader Harry Reid has said it will be passed, except for the defunding of Obamacare.

Once that happens, the bill would be sent back to the House for reconciliation.  The House and Senate will need to come up with a compromise by the end of the month.

Obama administration officials have already said that the President would veto the House bill if it were to pass through the Senate.