Rand Paul accuses Liz Cheney of wanting 'perpetual war,' she takes a shot at his height

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Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney exchanged heated words Thursday after the senator held up the passage of a $740 billion defense bill over language that could delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Paul opposes a provision that would limit the president’s ability to withdraw troops deployed overseas, arguing the bill would create “535 commanders in chief.” The senator took aim at Cheney during a lengthy speech on the Senate floor, accusing the House Republican Conference chair of supporting executive power to start military conflicts but not to withdraw from them.

“The neoconservative philosophy isn’t so much about a unity executive, isn’t so much about an all-powerful commander-in-chief,” Paul said. “The philosophy of these people is about war and substantiating war and making sure that it becomes and is perpetual war.”

The House voted to approve the defense spending bill earlier this week by a veto-proof 335-78 vote. President Trump had vowed to reject any bill that reached his desk if it did not include a repeal of Section 230, a provision which protects social media platforms from being liable for third-party posts.

Cheney, a proponent of the provision that Paul opposes, ripped the senator on Twitter for holding up a Senate vote.

“.@RandPaul is currently holding up passage of the #NDAA, blaming America, and delaying hazardous duty pay to hundreds of thousands of our service members and their families,” Cheney wrote. “Inexcusable. Rand and I do have one thing in common, though. We’re both 5’2” tall.”

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The U.S. will reduce its military presence to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and 500 troops in Iraq by Jan. 15. President Trump has called for American troops to withdraw from the Middle East since he took office in 2017.

Several prominent Republicans oppose the troop drawdowns, arguing that a rapid withdrawal could have consequences for U.S. interests in the region.