By Chris Taylor
Washington D.C. – Freshman Kentucky U-S Senator Rand Paul has introduced his first major legislative proposal. The Republican proposed sweeping cuts he claims would remove $500 billion from the federal government's annual budget. Paul proposes to eliminate the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and most of the Department of Education. Other cuts include military funding in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as deep budget cuts for the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the national park and federal court systems. The Louisville Courier Journal reports Paul says the targeted programs fall outside the federal scope and his plan would cut almost 40% of the nation's projected budget deficit.