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Senator Rand Paul issued a dire warning about the nefarious “kill switch” rule that allows the President of the United States to shut down the Internet at any given moment. Speaking on Dr. Scott Atlas’s “Independent Truths” podcast, the Kentucky senator stated that the federal law permits the government to abate personal freedom and suppress online activity. Paul elucidated on the unconstitutional and outrageous “emergency powers” that the state discretionarily wields to control and regulate civic life in the name of security and protection.

Senator Paul recounted how rent relief legislation in a CDC law from the 1930s was used to absolve individuals from paying mortgages and car payments. Similarly, when COVID-19 struck, the Trump Administration invoked emergency powers to quarantine and mandate mask-wearing.

Senator Paul noted that various emergency powers are still in place, some even dating back to the 1930s. These powers are so all-encompassing and overreaching that one such clause gives the President of the United States or whoever he designates the authority to take control of all communication channels in the United States. This Orwellian power grab has come to be known as the ‘Internet kill switch.’ This clause is found within the Communications Act’s Section 706.

Senator Paul condemned the sweeping emergency powers and argued that it is tantamount to centralizing power in the hands of one entity and eviscerating personal autonomy. The senator chastised politicians on both sides of the aisle, arguing that no president should have such unchecked control. To this end, he is working with Hawaii Democrat Tulsi Gabbard to eliminate or prune the kill switch clause.

The senator further feared the encroaching executive powers, warning that the government could arbitrarily shut down businesses at will and suppress religious activities. Many people mistakenly believe that emergency powers are reserved for times of natural disasters, but they are used to facilitate statist power grabs. Paul suggested that emergency powers should last for 30 days and automatically expire unless ratified by state legislators.

Senator Paul’s concerns are legitimate, and if not addressed, the government could be granted unchecked power to stifle dissenting voices and rebel against the populace’s interests. The lasting ramification of using such a clause is disastrous for the country and should not be implemented by any rational-minded leaders. The alarming potential of this sweeping power grab must be tempered with common sense and due diligence in formulating emergency powers.