The correct answer to this open question is the following.
The power of Congress that Senator Paul probably most concerned about based on this passage is the Power to Declare War.
The United States Constitution states on Article I, section clause 1, that the United States Congress has the power to declare war. The Constitution grants Congress with expressed powers and this is one of them. That is why Senator Rand Paul is reflecting on the great responsibility Congress has regarding thus power of declaring war against another nation.
It was commercially important. It allowed for the shipping of commercial goods and saved time + money.
Because the US (United States) had already placed some in Turkey.
