Rand Paul

Reserving right to object, if good intentions created laws--or created good laws--there would be no need for congressional debate.

I have no doubt that the authors of this bill genuinely want to protect children, but the bill they have written promises to be a Pandora's box of unintended consequences.

KOSA would impose an unprecedented duty of care on internet platform to mitigate certain harms associated with mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

While proponents can claim that the bill is not designed to regulate content, imposing a duty of care will inevitably lead to one outcome: the stifling of First Amendment protected speech.

Although many organizations have expressed concerns relating to KOSA's effective censorship mandate, I want to discuss one group in particular.

During the 2024 effort to pass KOSA, a pro-life organization, Students for Life Action, stated:

Once again a piece of Federal legislation with broad powers

and vague definitions threatens pro-life speech . . . those

targeted by a weaponized federal government will almost

always include pro-life Americans defending mothers and their

children--born and preborn.

Students for Life Action concluded its statement by stating:

Already the pro-life generation faces discrimination,

deplatforming, and short- and long-term bans on social media

on the whims of others. Students for Life Action calls for a

No vote on KOSA to prevent viewpoint discrimination from

becoming Federal policy at the FTC.

If KOSA can silence pro-life speech because online messages encouraging adoption and discouraging abortion might cause a teen mom anxiety, then KOSA is the kind of censorship all those who believe in the sanctity of life should oppose.

KOSA should not pass the Senate. But it certainly should not pass the Senate today, the 50th anniversary of the Hyde amendment, which bans Federal taxpayer funds from being used for abortion.

No matter how many times the bill text is altered, no matter how many times KOSA's authors try to disguise its censorship, the reality remains that this legislation will silence constitutionally protected speech.

Government mandates and censorship will not protect children online. The internet may pose new problems. But there is an age-old solution to this issue. Free minds and parental guidance are the best means to protect our children online.

I object.

Reserving the right to object, local communities have a right to determine whether a data center makes sense for them; some want them, some don't.

This bill would obstruct that right in places where Federal land is so abundant, you can't drive 5 miles without running into it. Washington should preserve local flexibility rather than declare an entire category of land off-limits.

I object.

Mr. President, today I rise to recognize and honor Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips. On Monday, September 28, 2026, Trooper Phillips reported for duty just as he had for the past 3 years, faithfully serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Tragically, he never returned home to his wife and their three young sons. In my hometown of Bowling Green, KY, Trooper Phillips paid the ultimate sacrifice, senselessly murdered while conducting a traffic stop on interstate 65 in Warren County.

Trooper Phillips was a proud graduate of Kentucky State Police Cadet Class 103, completing his training in August 2023 before being assigned to KSP Post 3 Bowling Green. He voluntarily swore an oath to serve and protect the people of Kentucky, and he upheld that oath with unwavering honor. Choosing a career in law enforcement is a profound commitment, one made with full understanding of the risks and dangers it carries. Yet Trooper Phillips willingly accepted those risks to make a difference in the lives of countless people he would never meet.

To his family, friends, coworkers, and community, Trooper Hayden Phillips was known as a true servant. Before joining the Kentucky State Police, he worked in other emergency service roles, demonstrating a lifelong dedication to helping those in need. Those who knew him described him as caring, hard-working, and genuinely pleasant--a man whose smile left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

But Trooper Phillips was more than a dedicated officer. He was a loving husband to his wife Jordan and a devoted father to their three young sons. His legacy will endure through them, allowing his life and his example to continue touching others for generations.

Attacks such as this on our law enforcement officers are not only tragedies; they are assaults on the freedoms we cherish as Americans. We must always stand firmly behind our first responders. I commend their dedication and express my deepest gratitude to all who carry the weight of the badge.

Please join me in honoring the life and service of Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips, Unit 369. May we never forget his sacrifice, and may we lift his family, friends, coworkers, and the entire community up during this difficult time.

Mr. President, it should not be controversial to say that Congress should know the circumstances of the deaths of our own citizens abroad in any country. It should be equally uncontroversial to say, in the spirit of transparency and oversight, that Congress must also be aware of human rights abuses anywhere abroad where billions of taxpayer dollars have been sent over the years.

Since 1993, the United States has provided $7.8 billion in bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza. As Washington throws money every which way, Congress must at least ensure that those taxpayer dollars advance our core interests, let alone not reward those who seek to harm us or our allies.

Yet, despite American generosity, human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza, committed by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and other groups, have been well documented over the years.

In 2024, the State Department reported that Palestinian Authority officials engaged in unlawful or arbitrary killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, severe restrictions on the freedom of expression, persecution of journalists, and the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict and much more.

Of course, we can never forget the brutal attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 innocent men, women, and children--among them, 46 citizens. A further 254 people were taken hostage, including 12 Americans, who endured unimaginable conditions.

One U.S.-Israeli citizen, Edan Alexander, survived 584 days in captivity and upon his release vowed to return to Israel to continue his service in the IDF, saying:

My story does not end with survival. It continues with

service.

Such acts of courage should inspire Congress to ensure that not one more taxpayer dime ever again goes to Palestinian governing entities that engage in human rights abuses and that directly threaten support or turn a blind eye to groups that target American citizens.

My bill is simple. It requires Palestinian governing entities to meet certain commonsense conditions before they receive any additional American assistance. Under my bill, U.S. foreign assistance to any Palestinian Government entity or international organization operating in the West Bank or Gaza which is funded by taxpayer dollars would be frozen unless said government entity meets some commonsense conditions. Namely, they must recognize the State of Israel, renounce terrorism and the October 7 attacks, remove individuals with terrorist ties from their security services, terminate all funding for anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, and honor previously agreed diplomatic agreements.

My bill would also strengthen congressional oversight by requiring that the State Department provide to Congress a report on human rights practices in the West Bank and Gaza and examine whether the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, or any other Palestinian governing entity continues to commit human rights abuses.

Funding Palestinian entities that do not recognize Israel's right to exist and fund anti-American and anti-Israel activities makes no sense.

At its core, this legislation establishes a principle of accountability. American taxpayers should know where their money is going, Congress should be able to oversee how it is being used, and foreign entities receiving the benefits of American assistance should be expected to meet clearly articulated standards.

I therefore ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of my bill, which is at the desk. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.