Kentucky Senator and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul argued the US should keep the interim agreement with Iran in place while negotiating with the country and blasting sanctuary city laws as “inexcusable” on Thursday’s “On the Record” on the Fox News Channel.
Rand said of the talks with Iran, “I’ve always been one that says we ought to negotiate and that negotiations are much better than war. But I am concerned about the sincerity of the Iranians and I’m still waiting to see exactly what will exactly happen with the talks. I was concerned a month ago when the president’s spokesman came forward and said well it’s inevitable they’ll still be committing terrorism after the agreement, and that they’ll still be developing ballistic weapons. And I think that’s still part of the discussions right now, whether or not they will still be developing ballistic weapons.”
He added, “you know the president says it’s less than 50/50. I think he’s trying to show a little backbone and trying to say, ‘Well, I’m not rushing into a bad deal.’ But it could also be a ploy that he’s trying to show as if he’s a tough negotiator and there still will be an agreement either way. But, I think there’s — the one thing that they had mentioned really isn’t a bad alternative right now, and that is that we continue with the interim agreement longer and continue to negotiate. So, we don’t get a bad deal, but the interim agreement did call for reducing their stockpile from 20% enriched to 5%. … That has largely occurred and I think that’s been a good step forward. It isn’t the end, but we also haven’t released the sanctions. So, I’m a believer that, keep the interim agreement in place, which means they they’ve had to reduce their stockpile, they’ve had to reduce the percentage of enrichment, but don’t give up on the sanctions and let the sanctions go too quickly. I fear that letting the sanctions go too quickly with untrustworthy partner will lead to Iran getting a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier Rand argued, “I think it’s inexcusable for San Francisco not to obey the law. Now, some are questioning what actually is is the law. So, we looked it up, and we found out that once upon a time, when the city of san francisco said we have an illegal immigrant who — or illegal alien that has committed a crime and there’s a detention order from the federal government that there was a transfer. But the Obama administration made it voluntary. So, we’re going to introduce legislation that will say that when the federal government says we want someone detained, we want them turned over to us when you are done with them that it actually happens.”
He continued, “Well, we often say that we’re for the rule of law, that’s what conservatives always say. But the rule of law means somebody’s got to obey the law. And I don’t think you can have whole cities or whole states just not obeying the law. Now, they say the law is murky here. I want to make it very explicit, San Francisco, you cannot break the law, and if you have someone who’s here illegally, you have to turn them over to the immigration services. It needs to be explicit.”
Rand also stated, “Well, it’s funny the democrats say they like sanctuary cities, and they say that they’re supposedly helping with crime. But I think if you talk to the family of this woman, you ask them ‘Are sanctuary cities helping with crime?’ I think they’d have a much different story to tell. And I think it’s inexcusable. We have to have cities and states that obey the law. And I think what we’re going to do through legislation is make it explicit to San Francisco, or any other sanctuary city, that you have to obey the law.”
Rand added that sanctuary cities policies are “not only flouting the law, it’s really endangering people. I would think that there will be repercussions for those who released this guy back into the public.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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