Sen. Rand Paul's aid request for tornado damage faces backlash

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is facing criticism for requesting federal aid for his home state despite his long track record of opposing aid for other regions.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is facing criticism for requesting federal aid for his home state despite his long track record of opposing aid for other regions recovering from disasters.

Kentucky was one of several Midwestern states rocked by tornadoes over the weekend. The storms decimated large portions of towns, and as many as 70 people are believed to have been killed in Western Kentucky.

Paul shared a photo of a letter he sent to the Biden administration requesting "expeditious approval" of a request for federal aid made by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Requests like these by senators in states affected by a natural disaster are quite common, but Paul is facing blowback because he has opposed federal disaster relief for several affected regions throughout his Senate career.

Paul is a deficit hawk, who has battled against hikes to the federal deficit to fund all sorts of legislation. His opposition to aid for states impacted by disaster has often been based in his belief that disaster expenses should be offset by cuts elsewhere in the federal budget.