Rand Paul blocked swift passage of a bill boosting Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

 https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/09-30-2021/rands-iron-dome-opposition/

 What happened: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) objected to swift passage of a bill to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, five congressional sources told POLITICO.

The bill, which cleared the House overwhelmingly last week with more than 400 votes in favor, would appropriate $1 billion for the Iron Dome, a state-of-the-art system that prevents rockets from striking inside Israel’s borders.

The House-passed bill was brought up as a “hotline” for both parties — a process that requires the consent of all 100 senators in order for the bill to hit the Senate floor immediately for a vote. Democrats cleared the hotline unanimously, three people said, but the GOP hotline didn’t go through due to Paul’s concerns that the new funding for the Iron Dome was not offset with spending cuts elsewhere.

An effort — supported by Republicans — to hotline an amendment to the funding bill that would add the Iron Dome money also fell apart this week.

Paul's perspect: “He proposed that we pay for the House bill with money that is going to go to the Taliban,” a spokeswoman for the Kentucky senator said. A Senate GOP staffer confirmed that Paul held the measure over Afghanistan aid.