text: Paul argued against the $700 billion bailout proposal to purchase toxic debt during the economic crisis of 2008. His vote was among the majority of "nay" votes cast to defeat the initial measure in the U.S. House of Representatives. The House passed a "sweetened" version of the bill, against which Paul voted a second time, later in the week.
  Civil liberties
  Public religious expression
  Paul believes that prayer in public schools should not be prohibited at the federal or state level, nor should it be made compulsory to engage in.  He rejects the notion of "separation of Church and state", instead seeing the issue as "free exercise of religion" and "no establishment of religion".  He views the latter as specific government endorsement of one particular religion, and does not see it as a mandate to ban all policies that would benefit religion in general.  He argues that churches give people a moral base that government cannot provide.  He views churches as more effective and more established providers of social welfare than the government.  He also argues this leads to a more orderly people who have less need for the government to actively seek to control them.  He opposes perceived efforts to force religion out of the public sphere.