Social Security is not “Insurance”
Perhaps the biggest media story of 2010 was the influence of Tea Party voters on the congressional landscape. The new congress comes to Capitol Hill with a mandate to end profligate spending and restore fiscal sanity, we are told. But when the House and Senate convene in January, the newly elected members will face tremendous pressure to maintain spending levels for entitlement programs. Even the most modest proposals to trim Social Security or Medicare spending will be met with howls of indignation and threats of voter revolt. Legislators who propose any kind of means testing or increased retirement ages can expect angry visits from senior citizen lobbyists ready to fund a candidate back home who supports the status quo. … Read the rest

Distorting the Tax Policy Debate
George Orwell warned us about the use of “meaningless words” in politics, words that are endlessly repeated by sloganeering politicians until they have no meaning at all. Meaningless words certainly were on display during last week’s congressional debate over the latest tax bill.

Over and over again we heard trite, empty phrases like “tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%,” “tax giveaways,” “tax earmarks,” and “borrowing money to give to millionaires.” Time and time again the same falsehoods were presented as fact, and reported as such by a credulous media.

But all of these clichés about taxes are based on the presumption that government has a right to all of your income, and so government “gives” you something when it allows you to keep a portion of that income. To this mindset, tax cuts represent a “cost” to government. After all, they argue, money that really ought to go to the most noble of purposes– wealth redistribution via taxation–is being kept by greedy people and corporations who just don’t want to pay their fair share.

Far too many Americans truly believe that tax cuts represent a government giveaway, indistinguishable from an outright subsidy or entitlement payment. To combat this mindset, we need to be clear with our language. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on C-Span’s Newsmakers
When the 112th Congress convenes next month, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will become the chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and will have Congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve.

On C‑SPAN’s Newsmakers, he shares his concerns regarding the agency’s monetary policies. Video Link … Read the rest

Statement on Tax Compromise Legislation
I recently voted again in favor of HR 4853, the Middle Class Tax Relief Act, legislation which ensures the continuation of the Bush-era tax cuts, fixes the AMT patch, and significantly reduces the burden of the estate tax in 2011. If no action had been taken by this Congress, all Americans would have had to pay higher income, dividend, estate, and capital gains taxes beginning on January 1, 2011. I will always vote to lower taxes at all levels, and I will never vote for tax increases.

Many opponents of this bill labor under the mistaken impression that it contains huge amounts of pork, earmarks, and other spending. What they are referring to is hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tax credits. Tax credits are not spending, they are not earmarks, they are not pork: they merely allow people to keep more of their own money. While the Administration’s desire in extending these particular credits may be to placate certain constituencies or to spur consumption or investment into certain sectors of the economy, the morally correct position is to allow people to keep their hard-earned money. That money belongs to the people and businesses who earned it, not to the government. If one wants to make it more equitable, then the amount of tax credits should be increased to include everyone. … Read the rest

Audit the Fed in 2011
Since the announcement last week that I will chair the congressional subcommittee that oversees the Federal Reserve, the media response has been overwhelming. The groundswell of opposition to Fed actions among ordinary citizens is reflected not only in the rhetoric coming out of Capitol Hill, but also in the tremendous interest shown by the financial press. The demand for transparency is growing, whether the political and financial establishment likes it or not. The Fed is losing its vaunted status as an institution that somehow is above politics and public scrutiny. Fed transparency will be the cornerstone of my efforts as subcommittee chairman.

Thanks to public pressure earlier this year, Congress did pass legislation that requires the Fed to disclose some information about its bailout of select industries and companies following the 2008 financial crisis. So two weeks ago the Fed released data concerning more than $3 trillion of assistance it offered to banks through its bailout facilities. After reviewing this data, however, we are left with many more questions about the Fed’s “lending”. … Read the rest

WikiLeaks is Revealing the Truth About American Empire (Rep. Ron Paul)
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) delivered the following speech on the House floor yesterday:

WikiLeaks’ release of classified information has generated a lot of attention world-wide in the past few weeks. The hysterical reaction makes one wonder if this is not an example of killing the messenger for the bad news. Despite what is claimed, information so far released, though classified, has caused no known harm to any individual, but it has caused plenty of embarrassment to our government. Losing a grip on our empire is not welcomed by the neo-conservatives in charge. There is now more information confirming that Saudi Arabia is a principle supporter and financier of Al Qaeda and this should set off alarm bells since we guarantee its Sharia-run government. This emphasizes even more the fact that no Al Qaeda existed in Iraq before 9/11, and yet we went to war against Iraq based on the lie that it did. It has been charged, by self-proclaimed experts, that Julian Assange, the internet publisher of this information, has committed a heinous crime deserving prosecution for treason and execution or even assassination. But should we not at least ask how the U.S. government can charge an Australian citizen with treason for publishing U.S. secret information, that he did not steal? … Read the rest

Focus on the policy, not Wikileaks
At its core, the Wikileaks controversy serves as a diversion from the real issue of what our foreign policy should be. But the mainstream media, along with neoconservatives from both political parties, insist on asking the wrong question. When presented with embarrassing disclosures about U.S. spying and meddling, the policy that requires so much spying and meddling is not questioned. Instead, the media focus on how so much sensitive information could have been leaked, or how authorities might prosecute the publishers of such information. No one questions the status quo or suggests a wholesale rethinking of our foreign policy. We should view the Wikileaks controversy in the larger context of American foreign policy. Rather than worry about the disclosure of embarrassing secrets, we should focus on our delusional foreign policy. We are kidding ourselves when we believe spying, intrigue, and outright military intervention can maintain our international status as a superpower while our domestic economy crumbles in an orgy of debt and monetary debasement. … Read the rest

Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling!
As of November 7th, the total U.S. public debt outstanding reached an astonishing $13.7 trillion. This means that although Congress just raised the debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion back in February, the new Congress will face another debt ceiling vote almost immediately next year. Otherwise, the Treasury will not be able to continue issuing debt to fund government operations. The upcoming vote will provide an interesting litmus test for the new Republican congressional majority, especially those new members closely identified with Tea Party voters. … Read the rest

Are Air Travelers Criminal Suspects?
The growing revolt against invasive TSA practices is encouraging to Americans who are fed up with federal government encroachment in their lives. In the case of air travelers, this encroachment is quite literally physical. But a deep-seated libertarian impulse still exists within the American people, and opposition to the new TSA full body scanner and groping searches is gathering momentum. … Read the rest

Introducing the American Traveler Dignity Act
My legislation is simple. It establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person. It means they are subject to the same laws as the rest of us. … Read the rest

The World Shorts the Dollar
While it is gratifying to see so many formerly uninterested politicians, economists, talk show hosts and pundits suddenly rally to attack the Fed, one can only wonder whether they truly understand that central banking is inherently incompatible with our Constitution and a free market economy. In other words, it’s not enough to show outrage at the latest Fed action or argue about the relative merits of Mr. Bernanke compared to his predecessors. To reclaim our dollar and our economy Americans must oppose central banking per se. Fiat currencies cannot be reformed or managed. They are fundamentally subject to ruinous debasement courtesy of the political and ruling class. History shows that this is true in all nations, at all times. … Read the rest

Reject the Welfare/Warfare State
Last week’s midterm elections have been characterized as a victory for grassroots Americans who are fed up with Washington and the political status quo. In particular, the elections are being touted as a clear indicator that voters demand reductions in federal spending, deficits, and debt. If the new Congress hopes to live up to the expectations of Tea Party voters, however, it faces some daunting choices. For all the talk about pork and waste, the truth is that Congress cannot fix the budget and get our national debt under control by trimming fat and eliminating earmarks for “Bridges to Nowhere.” Real reductions in federal spending can be achieved only by getting to the meat of the federal budget, meaning expenditures in all areas. … Read the rest

Saudi Arms Deal is About Iran
This month the US Administration notified Congress that it intends to complete one of the largest arms sales in US history to one of the most repressive regimes on earth. Saudi Arabia has been given the green light by the administration to spend $60 billion on some 84 new F-15 aircraft, dozens of the latest helicopters, and other missiles, bombs, and high-tech military products from the US weapons industry. Saudi Arabia, from where 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers came, is a family-run dictatorship, where there are no political parties, no independent press, and where any form of political dissent is met with the most severe punishment. We are told that we must occupy Afghanistan to encourage more rights for women, an issue on which the Saudi regime makes the Taliban look rather liberal by comparison. We are told that our increasingly aggressive policies toward Iran are justified by that country’s rigid Islamic laws and human-rights violations, while the even more repressive Islamic rule in Saudi Arabia is never mentioned. So why would the US government, which spends hundreds of billions of dollars yearly and maintains hundreds of bases overseas to push global democracy, approve a deal like this with such a regime? … Read the rest

Government and Job Creation
As the current economic downturn shows no signs of lifting, we hear quite a lot of rhetoric from current and potential office-holders about what government can and will do to create more jobs. This is especially disconcerting to those who understand that the best thing government can do for job creation is to simply get out of the way. Jobs are properly created by businesses. Government-created jobs are either fueled by fiat money and manipulated market conditions or directly funded by taxes paid by businesses and individuals who then have less to hire people for real wealth creation. Government-created jobs destroy wealth and sap potential from the economy. The several stimulus bills passed by Congress have done much to expand government but not much to keep money in the hands of real job creators – the entrepreneurs. Keynesian economists don’t see things this way. They see government spending as a stop gap measure that tides us over through rough economic patches. But is this really the case? … Read the rest

Ron Paul at TSU
On Tuesday, October 12, Congressman Paul addressed the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law Government Law Society on returning to the Constitution, restraining government at home and abroad, and the need to embrace liberty to create a free society and bring about real change. … Read the rest

More Inflation Fears
Inflation fears are heating up this week as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a speech in Boston on Friday, causing further frantic flight into gold by those fearful of the coming “quantitative easing” the Fed is set to deliver in November. Others who view gold as a short term investment engaged in immediate profit-taking after Bernanke’s speech. Gold is more correctly viewed as insurance against bad monetary policy decisions that erode the value of savings. Those bad decisions keep coming at an ever faster clip these days and we hear more and more talk of currency wars especially between the dollar, the Chinese yuan, the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar, and the Euro. As the economies of the world continue to stagnate or contract, monetary policy decisions become more relevant to people who once thought this topic arcane. We have several examples this week of major fumbles on the part of the US Central Bank … Read the rest

A Spooked Economy in October
Last week we received worse than expected unemployment numbers, challenging recent claims that the recession has come and gone. Also, as the economy continues to suffer the after effects of the Federal Reserve-created bubbles of the last decade, there is renewed interest in gold. Fears that the Federal Reserve will pump even more money into the system had caused the price of gold to reach new highs. Also contributing to enthusiasm for gold is continued instability in the banking industry, symbolized this week by fraud allegations that have caused many banks to halt foreclosure proceedings, thus further destabilizing the housing market. Yes, October has a reputation for being a scary month economically and this month is shaping up to be frightening, as well. … Read the rest

Free Markets Create Jobs
In this struggling economy it is essential for politicians to take a step back and think about what government has been doing to business in this country. In less than 200 years, the free market, property rights, and respect for the rule of law took this nation from a rough frontier to a global economic superpower. Today, however, our nation and our economy clearly are headed in the wrong direction. Of course, America has never enjoyed absolute free-market capitalism: creeping government intrusion and special interest political patronage have existed and increased since our founding. But America historically has permitted free markets to operate with less government interference than other nations, while showing greater respect for property rights and the rule of law. Less government, respect for private property, and a relatively stable legal environment allowed America to become the wealthiest nation on earth. The best approach to our economic woes that will help the most people is simple: get back to the Constitution and demonstrate respect for free markets, private property, and the rule of law … Read the rest

Statement on HR 2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act
The imbalances in international trade, and in particular trade between China and the United States, have prompted many to demand a realignment of the Chinese yuan and the American dollar. Since we are running a huge trade deficit with China the call now is for a stronger yuan and a weaker dollar. This trade imbalance problem will not be solved so easily. I would urge my colleagues to consider the benefits we receive from our relationship with China, one of which is that American consumers benefit from lower-priced goods. Adopting the policy urged by supporters of this bill would cause consumer prices to increase, thus reducing consumers’ wealth. Other producers would suffer as a result of the consumers decreased purchasing power. I doubt that many of our constituents want us to increase the prices they pay for goods and services. Congress should also consider how the Chinese benefit the United States government by holding our debt. … Read the rest

Healthcare Reform: A Huge Misdiagnosis
This week marked six months since Congress passed the healthcare reform bill in what has become all-too-typical legislative chicanery. Those in power crafted a mammoth piece of legislation and rammed it through Congress under a dire sense of emergency. Insisting on time enough to read the bill was dismissed as dangerous and crazy in a time of crisis. We were told that if we really wanted to see what was in the bill, we would have to pass it first. I cannot imagine the founding fathers intended for Congress to legislate in this manner. I would think if a Member is not absolutely certain the entire legislation meets Constitutional muster, the default vote should be ‘no’ in accordance with our oath of office. … Read the rest

Are Consumers Finally Winning in Washington?
This past week the administration announced its choice for the first credit czar at the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This bureau was created as part of the supposed Wall Street reform bill recently passed by Congress. This new bureau, which represents nothing more than another layer of useless Washington bureaucracy, will be housed within the Federal Reserve– one of the most anti-consumer institutions in Washington. … Read the rest

On More Stimulus Spending
Faced with continuing economic decline and an impending election, the administration, predictably, is entertaining the idea of another stimulus package. To explain why the last one didn’t work, adherents to the Keynesian economic philosophy are claiming that they actually did work – it just looks like they didn’t because we don’t realize how much worse off we would be right now without trillions of dollars of public spending. The last administration bought into Keynesianism just as much as this one does, unfortunately. Until we have leaders who understand that debt is not the way to prosperity, there will be no stopping runaway government spending. … Read the rest

Successful Economic Policies? For Whom?
Last week, in the wake of another uptick in the official unemployment rate, the administration continued to claim that their economic policies were working, just not fast enough. This administration inherited an unemployment rate of 7.7% and promised a peak of no higher than 8% if their policies were followed. Not only does the administration have a funny way of ending a war, but now they claim their economic policies are successful. For whom, I wonder? … Read the rest

Iraq – An End or an Escalation?
Amid much fanfare last week, the last supposed “combat” troops left Iraq as the administration touted the beginning of the end of the Iraq War and a change in the role of the United States in that country. Considering the continued public frustration with the war effort, and with the growing laundry list of broken promises, this was merely another one of the administration’s operations in political maneuvering and semantics in order to convince an increasingly war-weary public that the Iraq War is at last ending. However, military officials confirm that we are committed to intervention in that country for years to come, and our operations have in fact, changed minimally, if really at all. … Read the rest

Let the Housing Market Normalize!
Recently there have been some encouraging signs that Congress is finally willing to admit what should have been evident two years ago. Even after a $150 billion bailout, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are still bankrupt and should be abolished. Indeed Rep. Barney Frank, a longtime champion of Fannie and Freddie has made a few statements alluding to this and I have signed on to a letter asking him to clarify his remarks and hold hearings on this topic. There seems to be a growing consensus in favor of abolishing Fannie and Freddie. This is the good news. … Read the rest

Washington’s Idea of Fiscal Restraint
It has been months now since the new healthcare reform bill was passed into law. As is so typical, this massive piece of legislation was passed with a sense of urgency so acute that leadership declared America could not afford to wait until legislators, their staff and the general public had time to thoroughly read the bill. … Read the rest

The Cycle of Violence in Afghanistan
Last week the National Bureau of Economic Research published a report on the effect of civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq that confirmed what critics of our foreign policy have been saying for years: the killing of civilians, although unintentional, angers other civilians and prompts them to seek revenge. This should be self-evident. … Read the rest

The Trouble With Unconstitutional Wars
Our foreign policy was in the spotlight last week, which is exactly where it should be. Almost two years ago many voters elected someone they thought would lead us to a more peaceful, rational co-existence with other countries. … Read the rest

On the Bloated Intelligence Bureaucracy
The problem with our intelligence community before 9/11 was not an inability to collect information. Therefore, the post-September 11 build-up of the surveillance state does nothing to enhance safety. Instead what Americans have gotten in return for the billions of tax dollars spent on security is a surveillance state that reads our e-mails, wiretaps us without warrants, and strip searches grandmothers at airports. This is yet another instance in which Americans would be safer, richer and freer if our government would simply look to the Constitution and respect the boundaries it has set. … Read the rest

When There is No Rule of Law
Last week ended with some promising news on finally stopping the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, the administration still seems to believe that shutting down working oil wells is a higher priority than effectively dealing with the broken one. They are again issuing a moratorium on off-shore drilling, while maintaining a de facto ban on new permits even for shallow water drilling, which they previously stated would be unaffected. The courts have twice declared this unconstitutional, over 70 percent of the people see this as unreasonable, yet the administration seems determined to simply end off-shore drilling, at least for those producers that cannot afford to sit idle for an unknown period of time until the ban is lifted. … Read the rest

Funding Corruption and Waste in Afghanistan
Last week, GOP chairman Michael Steele came under fire for daring to say what a lot of Americans already know – that our involvement in Afghanistan is an ill-advised quagmire with no end in sight. After nearly 10 years and approaching $1 trillion spent, the conflict is going nowhere because there is nowhere for it to go. After all, if victory is never really defined, defeat is inevitable. With our economy at home in serious trouble, this wasteful occupation is something we clearly cannot afford. Each soldier costs us $1 million per year, and yet most in Washington are only considering how many more soldiers to send. Fuel costs an astonishing $400 per gallon for our military in Afghanistan! Yet somehow, many politicians feel it is acceptable to squeeze this money out of our taxpayers, who are truly struggling economically, to fund this non-war. Where the money for Afghanistan comes from is one problem – where it goes is another. Recently, it has come to light that much of the aid money we send to Afghanistan is lost due to corruption. Billions of tax dollars from hardworking Americans are ending up lining the pockets of corrupt Afghan officials, and likely even filtering into the Taliban we are ostensibly fighting. It is time to leave Afghanistan to the Afghans to sort out … Read the rest

More Power for the Fed
Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight, while Congress has kept its hands off and its eyes closed. The Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would achieve much-needed transparency of the Federal Reserve System. However, House and Senate negotiators failed to include the full language of my legislation in the conference report for the financial reform bill, and the full Congress missed yet another opportunity to demand accountability from the Federal Reserve by defeating the Republicans’ motion to recommit … Read the rest

Ron Paul Discusses the Future of “Audit the Fed” Efforts
Congressman Ron Paul discusses the latest in the efforts to get a full and complete audit of the Fed as well as the future of Fed transparency. Congressman Ron Paul discusses the latest in the efforts to get a full and complete audit of the Fed as well as the future of Fed transparency. See a list of H.R. 1207 cosponsors who voted against the motion here … Read the rest

The Military Can Waste Money Too
There really is nothing for us to win in Afghanistan. Our mission has morphed from apprehending those who attacked us, to apprehending those who threaten or dislike us for invading their country, to remaking an entire political system and even a culture. I remain highly skeptical that, as foreign occupiers, we can ever impose western-style democracy on another country. Our troops have debilitating restrictions on defending themselves against enemies, which are so often indistinguishable from civilians. They also face dire setbacks in winning hearts and minds when innocents are mistakenly harmed, which happens all the time. We can never make friends this way; the tactic never works.

This is an expensive, bloody, endless exercise in futility. Not everyone is willing to admit this just yet. But every second they spend in denial has real costs in lives and livelihoods.

Many of us can agree on one thing, however. Our military spending in general has grown way out of control. This is largely because fiscal accountability in military budgeting is seen, by many, as weak on defense. This is absolutely wrong and a dangerous way to think. It is certainly possible for the military to waste money, or to spend money counterproductively, and indeed it has. But out of political correctness, the military has been getting blank checks from the administrations and Congress for far too long. … Read the rest

Too Much Government in the Gulf
Sadly, the disaster in the Gulf continues this week as BP’s efforts at containment keep hitting snags and residents along the coast scramble to clean up and defend their shores and wildlife. Many have criticized the federal government in the past weeks for not doing enough. The reality is there is only so much government can do to help, yet a lot they can do to prolong the problem and misdirect the pain. For example, in the interest of “doing something” the administration has enacted a unilateral ban on offshore drilling. This is counterproductive. I am proud to cosponsor legislation to lift that ban. Why punish other oil companies and their hard-working employees who had nothing to do with this disaster, and who have better safety records? … Read the rest

Gold, Oil, and the Dollar
Ron Paul talks with Lew Rockwell about gold’s verdict on the dollar, how government helped bring on the oil spill, the Fed’s machinations and the attempt to audit it, and the rotten foundations of the world financial system. Yet amidst bad news, millions of young people are studying Austrian economics and libertarianism. They know the crimes of the Fed, and why we need reform. In any event, reform is coming, as the shaky greenback and world dollar system go down. Meanwhile, independent voters want Ron for president against Obama and other Republicans. GOP primary voters are a different matter. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Says GOP Will Be More Open To Libertarian-Minded Nominee In 2012
Paul argues that independents would be drawn to a libertarian-Republican candidate. “Not that I’m pumping my own campaign because I don’t have one, but I think somebody did a poll that showed that when it comes to independent voters and they put my name up against Obama’s, I can beat him by 18 percent. So I think the independents are much more open to fiscal responsibility and personal liberties and a different foreign policy,” he said. … Read the rest

Realign for Peace and Liberty
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) discusses the hope for a new political realignment around the issues of peace, the Bill of Rights and ending corporate welfare, his support for the “War is Making You Poor” Act, how government insolvency can lessen restrictions on individual liberty and why the US only needs a small defensive military supplemented by volunteer militias. MP3 here … Read the rest

Paul Pleased by Floor Vote on End the Mandate
Congressman Paul was gratified today when House Republicans forced a vote on the floor to strip the most authoritarian measure from the new healthcare reform law – the requirement that every American buy government-approved health insurance or face stiff IRS penalties. Essentially, today’s resolution adopted Paul’s “End the Mandate” legislation (HR 4995) as a motion to recommit on a related tax bill … Read the rest

Authoritarianism is Bad for Your Health
Polls show that a large majority of Americans don’t want Obamacare. Congress should seize the opportunity to repeal the very worst aspect of this new legislation, namely the mandate that forces every American either to purchase health insurance or face an IRS penalty. This mandate represents nothing more than an unconstitutional, historically unprecedented gift to the insurance industry. I introduced the “End the Mandate Act” (HR 4995) expressly to prevent the administration from ever putting this provision into effect. … Read the rest

Paul Urges a Full and Complete Audit of the Federal Reserve
“This Financial Reform bill is set to grant sweeping new powers to the Federal Reserve, which has made a mess of our economy. If my colleagues insist on expanding the power of the Fed, the very least they can do is require the Fed to be transparent rather than secretive in its actions,” stated Congressman Paul. “Luckily, many of the conferees already have demonstrated their concern about transparency by cosponsoring HR 1207, and hopefully those conferees will insist on full transparency in the conference report.” … Read the rest

Why Governments Hate Gold
This past week several emerging and ongoing crises took attention away from the ongoing sovereign debt problems in Greece. The bailouts are merely kicking the can down the road and making things worse for taxpaying citizens, here and abroad. Greece is unfortunately not unique in its irresponsible spending habits. Greek-style debt explosions are quickly spreading to other nations one by one, and yes, the United States is one of the dominoes on down the line. Time and again it has been proven that the Keynesian system of big government and fiat paper money are abject failures in the long run. … Read the rest

Put Patients and Doctors Back in Control of Healthcare
Most everyone agrees that health care in the United States has major problems, the biggest problems relating to skyrocketing costs. No one doubts the system is in need of reform. However, too many in Washington see tighter government controls as the solution. In fact, the problems are rooted in past government controls that created more problems than they solved. … Read the rest

Statement Introducing the Private Option Health Care Act
Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Private Option Health Care Act. This bill places individuals back in control of health care by replacing the recently passed tax-spend-and-regulate health care law with reforms designed to restore a free market health care system. The major problems with American health care are rooted in government policies that encourage excessive reliance on third-party payers. The excessive reliance on third-party payers removes incentives for individual patients to concern themselves with health care costs. Laws and policies promoting Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) resulted from a desperate attempt to control spiraling costs. However, instead of promoting an efficient health care system, HMOs further took control over health care away from patients and physicians. This bill also creates a competitive market in heath insurance. It achieves this goal by exercising Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause to allow individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines. Madam Speaker, the Private Option Health Care Act allows Congress to correct the mistake it made last month by replacing the new health care law with health care measures that give control to health care to individuals, instead of the federal government and politically-influential corporations. I urge my colleagues to support this bill … Read the rest

Paul Introduces Homeowner Tax Credit Extension and Expansion Act
Congressman Ron Paul (TX-14) today introduced legislation to permanently extend the first-time homebuyer tax credit and to make the credit available to people whose homes have been destroyed by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane.

The legislation also makes a number of changes to existing tax credits in order to enhance their usefulness to victims of natural disasters. Specifically, this bill makes casualty loss deductions available to taxpayers who do not itemize, and makes it available to them for five years after the disaster. This legislation also helps people who have lost their jobs because of a natural disaster by making unemployment payments provided under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act tax free.

Renewing the first-time home buyer’s credit will help Americans purchase a first home with their own money, instead of having to rely on government-funded or backed programs. … Read the rest

Press Conference on Cutting Military Waste – May 27, 2010
On the military spending initiative. Held by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Ron Paul, Senator Ron Wyden and Rep. Walter Jones. … Read the rest

Video Update – Military Spending
Congressman Paul gives an update on upcoming legislation in the House, discusses current foreign policy events, and talks about the need to return to a noninterventionist foreign policy. … Read the rest

More Blank Checks to the Military Industrial Complex
Congress, with its insatiable appetite for spending, is set to pass yet another “supplemental” appropriations bill in the next two weeks. So-called supplemental bills allow Congress to spend beyond even the 13 annual appropriations bills that fund the federal government. These are akin to a family that consistently outspends its budget, and therefore needs to use a credit card to make it through the end of the month. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Discusses Immigration, the Welfare/Warfare State & More Part 2
Ron Paul (R-TX) is one of the key catalysts for the freedom movement, which was why we at http://motorhomediaries.com were so excited to have the chance to sit down with him in his home district. In this video we discuss resources available to those new to the ideas of liberty, immigration, free markets, the welfare/warfare state and bailouts. … Read the rest

The Government as Identity Thieves
The spotlight remains on the Greek sovereign debt crisis as the riots continue. The terms of the Greek bailout from the IMF and Eurozone countries remain contentious with citizens on all sides. Europeans hate having their governments throw public money away as much as Americans do. The Greeks are not happy about having their taxes raised while their pensions and salaries are cut. Meanwhile, it is rumored by the Financial Times, AFP and others that Greece may spend more than it saves from austerity measures on arms deals with Germany, France and the US as a potential condition of receiving bailout funds. If true, it is certainly not unprecedented for the global military industrial complex to benefit from deals made by their friends in the central banking community. After all, war is the health of the state. The last thing big government proponents want is for peace to break out in the world. … Read the rest

Paul Disappointed by Senate’s Failure to Support a Full Audit of Fed
Congressman Ron Paul (TX-14) today expressed disappointment that the Senate failed to pass an amendment offered by Senator Vitter (amending the Senate financial reform bill), which included the express language of Congressman Paul’s landmark “Audit the Fed” legislation. Paul’s legislation passed by a large margin in the House of Representatives last fall as part of the House financial reform bill, and Senator Vitter’s amendment would have paved the way for a full and ongoing audit of all of the Federal Reserve’s lending and monetary policy activity. … Read the rest

Fed Audit Under Fire
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that the measure to audit the Federal Reserve is coming under continuous fire from the central bank and its cronies. For the first time since the Federal Reserve was created nearly a century ago, they have hired an actual lobbyist to pound the pavement on Capitol Hill. This is a desperate effort to hang on to the privilege of secrecy and lack of accountability they have enjoyed for so long. Last week showed they are getting their money’s worth in the Senate. … Read the rest

Sanders Amendment Update
Congressman Paul reports on Bernie Sanders selling out the Fed transparency amendment on the House floor. … Read the rest

Senate Sellout Threatens Congressman Paul’s Audit the Fed Bill
Congressman Ron Paul (TX-14) expressed disappointment that his landmark legislation to audit the Federal Reserve Bank- which passed by a wide margin in the House Financial Services committee and has over 319 House co-sponsors- was threatened by a compromise in the Senate today. … Read the rest

Congress Freezes Its Own Pay
Last week Congress did something fiscally responsible. It’s not very often I can say that. Granted, it was small in the grand scheme of things, but I was glad to be an original cosponsor, along with Congressman Harry Mitchell of Arizona, of a bill to block the automatic pay raise that Congress otherwise receives every year. Every Member of Congress gets this raise unless it is expressly voted down. For the second year in a row Congress has voted to freeze its own pay, which, in a time of skyrocketing deficits and high unemployment, is the very least Congress can do. … Read the rest

Socialism vs Corporatism
Lately many have characterized this administration as socialist, or having strong socialist leanings. I differ with this characterization. This is not to say Mr. Obama believes in free-markets by any means. On the contrary, he has done and said much that demonstrates his fundamental misunderstanding and hostility towards the truly free market. But a closer, honest examination of his policies and actions in office reveals that, much like the previous administration, he is very much a corporatist. This in many ways can be more insidious and worse than being an outright socialist. … Read the rest

Paul, Mitchell Again Block Congressional Pay Raise
Congressman Ron Paul and Congressman Harry Mitchell have again stopped the increase in pay that Members of Congress automatically get every year unless it is voted down. Their efforts to block the pay raise for 2010 was successful last year, and today their bill to block the pay raise for 2011 passed overwhelmingly in the House after passing the Senate last week. … Read the rest

Rising in Opposition to Iran Sanctions
Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to this motion to instruct House conferees on HR 2194, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act, and I rise in strong opposition again to the underlying bill and to its Senate version as well. I object to this entire push for war on Iran, however it is disguised. Listening to the debate on the Floor on this motion and the underlying bill it feels as if we are back in 2002 all over again: the same falsehoods and distortions used to push the United States into a disastrous and unnecessary one trillion dollar war on Iraq are being trotted out again to lead us to what will likely be an even more disastrous and costly war on Iran. The parallels are astonishing. … Read the rest

End the Mandate
The whole bill is rotten, but this provision especially is a blatant violation of the Constitution. Defenders claim the Congress’s constitutional authority to regulate “interstate commerce” gives it the power to do this. However, as Judge Andrew Napolitano and other distinguished legal scholars and commentators have pointed out, even the broadest definition of “regulating interstate commerce” cannot reasonably encompass forcing Americans to engage in commerce by purchasing health insurance. Not only is it unconstitutional; it is a violation of the basic freedom to make our own decisions regarding how best to meet the health care needs of ourselves and our families. … Read the rest

Statement on Introduction of End the Mandate Act
Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the End the Mandate Act. This legislation repeals the sections of the recently-passed health reform bill that force all Americans to purchase federally-approved health insurance plans. … Read the rest

The FCIC: Passing the Buck
Last week the federal government’s Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission held hearings as part of their continuing investigation into the causes of the acute economic meltdown which occurred in late summer 2008. This bipartisan commission, partly inspired by the Pecora Commission- which investigated the causes of the Great Depression- is expected to report back to Congress before the end of the year. Things don’t seem to be going well. The individuals questioned by the commission mostly seem to be diverting blame for the whole fiasco to someone else. Nobody is offering any tangible insights into the causes of the financial crisis. … Read the rest

Ron Paul at 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference 4/10/10
Congressman Ron Paul addresses the crowd at the South Republican Leadership Conference, April 10, 2010. Dr. Paul lost the straw poll to Mitt Romney by a single vote. … Read the rest

Government and Gasoline
As we head into the summer driving season and gasoline prices are again creeping up, the administration has announced plans to explore opening up more off-shore areas for exploration and drilling. On the one hand this can be lauded as a positive step. On the other hand, it is too little, much too late to have any meaningful or long-term effect on what Americans pay at the pump any time soon, if at all. Indeed, if increasing domestic energy production was really a priority, the administration would direct the EPA to remove its many roadblocks and barriers to energy production. … Read the rest

Healthcare and Economic Realities
With passage of last week’s bill, the American people are now the unhappy recipients of Washington’s disastrous prescription for healthcare “reform.” Congressional leaders relied on highly dubious budget predictions, faulty market assumptions, and outright fantasy to convince a slim majority that this major expansion of government somehow will reduce federal spending. This legislation is just the next step towards universal, single payer healthcare, which many see as a human right. Of course, this “right” must be produced by the labor of other people, meaning theft and coercion by government is necessary to produce and distribute it. … Read the rest

Healthcare Reform Passes
Following months of heated public debate and aggressive closed-door negotiations, Congress finally cast a historic vote on healthcare late Sunday evening. It was truly a sad weekend on the House floor as we witnessed further dismantling of the Constitution, disregard of the will of the people, explosive expansion of the reach of government, unprecedented corporate favoritism, and the impending end of quality healthcare as we know it. … Read the rest

Supporting the War Instead of the Troops
Last week, Congress debated a resolution directing the President to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan no later than the end of this year. The Constitution gives the power to declare war to the Congress, so it is clearly appropriate for Congress to assert its voice on matters of armed conflict. In recent decades, however, Congress has defaulted on this most critical duty, essentially granting successive presidents the unilateral (and clearly unconstitutional) power to begin and end wars at will. This resolution was not expected to pass; however, the ensuing debate and floor vote served some very important purposes. … Read the rest

Census: A Little Too Personal
Last week Congress voted to encourage participation in the 2010 census. I voted “No” on this resolution for the simple, obvious reason that the census- like so many government programs- has grown far beyond what the framers of our Constitution intended. The invasive nature of the current census raises serious questions about how and why government will use the collected information. It also demonstrates how the federal bureaucracy consistently encourages citizens to think of themselves in terms of groups, rather than as individual Americans. … Read the rest

Bizarre Spending Habits
Last week I had the opportunity to bring up spending and transparency in two important hearings. On Wednesday I questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on some highly questionable uses of funds at the Federal Reserve, and on Thursday I asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about exorbitant spending at the State Department. It is extremely important to continue bringing these issues up, especially in light of our difficult economic times, when so many are out of work, as I saw up close in my district at the Oceans of Opportunity Job Fair in Galveston two weeks ago. … Read the rest

Government Stimulus, One Year Later
Last week marked the one year anniversary of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, or the stimulus bill, passing into law. While the debate over its success has been focused on whether or not it is stimulating the economy and on various questionable uses of funds, in my estimation this legislation is accomplishing exactly what it was intended to accomplish – grow the government. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Interview 2/15/10
“The Southern Avenger” Jack Hunter interviews Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) on 1250 AM WTMA, Charleston, South Carolina, February 15, 2010. Paul discusses the Tea Party movement, GOP and neoconservative attempts to co-opt it , National Review’s Daniel Pipes suggestion that President Obama should “bomb Iran” to boost poll numbers, and the importance of addressing foreign policy when discussing spending and limited government. … Read the rest

Are US Taxpayers Bailing Out Greece?
Is it possible that our Federal Reserve has had some hand in bailing out Greece? The fact is, we don’t know, and current laws exempt agreements between the Fed and foreign central banks from disclosure or audit. … Read the rest

More Spending is Always the Answer
Continually increasing the debt is one of the logical outcomes of Keynesianism, since more government spending is always their answer. It is claimed that government must not stop spending when the economy is so fragile. Government must act. Yet, when times are good, government also increases in size and scope, because we can afford it, it is claimed. There is never a good time to rein in government spending according to Keynesian economists and the proponents of big government. … Read the rest

Spending Freeze Not Likely
Last week politicians in Washington made a few things clear about how they really feel about the state of the union. First, they are beginning to hear the growing discontent with the size and scope of government and the broken promises that keep piling up. Certain events in Massachusetts recently made that statement loud, clear and unavoidable. In the face of those events, the powers that be made the determination that some populist rhetoric was in order, and the idea of a spending freeze in Washington was proposed, albeit with several caveats. These caveats to the proposed spending freeze ensure that we are not at any real risk of actually doing anything about spending. … Read the rest

Legalize Competing Currencies
We have been on a disastrous course for a long time. The money supply has doubled in the last year, our debt is unsustainable, the value of the dollar is going to continue its drop, and those Americans who understand where we are headed feel helpless and held hostage by foolish policy makers in Washington. When the bills finally come due and the dollar stops working we are in for some real social, economic and political chaos. That is, unless we take some major steps now to allow for a peaceful transition in the future. These steps are laid out in my legislation to legalize competing currencies. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Antiwar Radio 1/22/10 – Part 2 – Part 3
Ron Paul) discusses his disinterest in political parties, the slippery slope from indefinitely detaining foreign terrorism suspects to designating domestic criminals enemy combatants, why the US empire is more likely to end from the dollars collapse than a reasoned decision to return to a republic, the diminishing returns from intelligence spending and why reestablishing gold and silver as currency is a good idea. … Read the rest

Government is Too Big to Succeed
Last week, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission kicked off their first round of hearings on the causes of the economic meltdown on Wall Street. The commission is being compared to the the Pecora Commission launched in 1932 to investigate the causes of the Great Depression. The Pecora commission is beloved by those who believe the solution to every problem is more laws because it was used to justify a number of new laws, including Glass-Steagall. The Pecora Commission was stacked with big government sympathizers who blamed the free market and the gold standard without question, and without any consideration of government interference in the economy. This panel is no different. Never will they contemplate how government steered us into this crisis, and what perverse incentives can be removed or repealed so that the market will function more smoothly. It is predictable that this government panel will eventually come to the firm conclusion that government needs to be bigger, and that the market is just too free … Read the rest

Ron Paul: US Wants “Obedient Servants of the State”
The issue of international aid for Haiti earthquake survivors is being debated by politicians worldwide. U.S. congressman Ron Paul shares his thoughts about the situation along with a look at terrorism and the ongoing financial crisis on Russia Today 1/14/10 … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Intelligent Investing with Steve Forbes
This Week’s Interview – Dr. Ron Paul … Read the rest

Why the Fed Likes Independence
Last week it was revealed that when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was Chairman of the New York Federal Reserve, he urged AIG officials not to disclose to the Securities Exchange Commission relevant details of agreements with banks to bail out Goldman Sachs. Apparently he felt at the time that regulators and the public would be angry that taxpayer money was used to fully compensate bankers who made some horrifically bad investment decisions. These banks should have suffered the consequences of the huge risks they were taking. After all, they kept plenty of rewards when times were good. Instead, the Fed found a way to socialize these major losses so these banks could survive and continue making more bad decisions, at the expense of the American people and the value of the dollar. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Golden Rule
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas will be Steve Forbes’ guest Monday on Intelligent Investing discussing his new book End The Fed and his attempt, with Congressman Alan Grayson, to secure the right of the Government Accountability Office to audit the Federal Reserve.

Watch a Highlight of Dr. Ron Paul’s Interview with Steve Forbes … Read the rest

Keynesianism Delivers a Decade of Zero
The tragic reality is that this fatally flawed, but widely accepted, economic school of thought called Keynesianism has made our country more socialist than capitalist. While the private sector in the last ten years has experienced a roller coaster of booms and busts and ended up, nominally, about where we started in 2000, government has been steadily growing, because Keynesians told politicians they could get away with a tax, spend and inflate policy. They even encouraged it! But we cannot survive much longer if government is our only growth industry. … Read the rest

Will Ben Stein Debate Ron Paul?
After their recent exchange during a Larry King Live interview, Congressman Paul challenges Ben Stein (and others who share his position) to a public debate over our nation’s foreign policy and what truly motivates terrorists. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Terrorism and Security
Congressman Ron Paul gives his thoughts on Yemen, the attempted airline bombing, the motivations of Al Qaeda, the radicalization of the Middle East, and the negation of our liberties to government provided “security.” … Read the rest

Healthcare Reform is a Lump of Coal
Last week on Christmas Eve, after many backroom deals were made, the Senate passed the healthcare reform bill with a strictly partisan vote. I was pleased that my colleagues in the GOP are on the right side of this bill. Although this vote was a major step in healthcare reform becoming reality, they still have to reconcile the Senate bill with the House-passed version in conference committee. This could prove even more difficult and costly than the Senate vote. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Foreign Policy Ignored
As the health care reform battle rages, Congressman Paul points out the need to also keep paying attention to developments in foreign policy and discusses recent events that could have long-term effects. … Read the rest

Iran Sanctions are Precursor to War
Last week the House overwhelmingly approved a measure to put a new round of sanctions on Iran. If this measure passes the Senate, the United States could no longer do business with anyone who sold refined petroleum products to Iran or helped them develop their ability to refine their own petroleum. The sad thing is that many of my colleagues voted for this measure because they felt it would deflect a military engagement with Iran. I would put the question to them, how would Congress react if another government threatened our critical trading partners in this way? Would we not view it as asking for war? … Read the rest

The Fed’s Money Monopoly
Because of legal tender laws that force acceptance of the dollar, the Fed has absolute power over the currency. This absolute power is leading to the absolute corruption of our currency. The money supply has doubled in the last year or so, which is extremely dangerous. The banks seem to be hoarding liquidity now but once these dollars make their way into the economy, hyperinflation and economic chaos will be a real possibility. … Read the rest

Ron and Rand Paul Joint Interview on King World News
Both Dr. Pauls sat down with Eric King over the weekend to talk Federal Reserve, monetary policy and Rand’s fundraising efforts on December 16th. Check out the interview here. … Read the rest

It’s Time to Leave Afghanistan
I have always opposed nation-building as unconstitutional and ineffective. Afghanistan is no different. Without a real strategy in Afghanistan, without a vision of what victory will look like, we are left with the empty rhetoric of the last administration that “when the Afghan people stand up, the US will stand down.” I am afraid the only solution to the Afghanistan quagmire is a rapid and complete US withdrawal from that country and the region. We cannot afford to maintain this empire and our occupation of these foreign lands is not making us any safer. It is time to leave Afghanistan. … Read the rest

Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act
Madame Speaker, I rise to introduce the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009…. Madame Speaker, allowing for competing currencies will allow market participants to choose a currency that suits their needs, rather than the needs of the government. The prospect of American citizens turning away from the dollar towards alternate currencies will provide the necessary impetus to the US government to regain control of the dollar and halt its downward spiral. Restoring soundness to the dollar will remove the government’s ability and incentive to inflate the currency, and keep us from launching unconstitutional wars that burden our economy to excess. With a sound currency, everyone is better off, not just those who control the monetary system. … Read the rest

Who Wants War?
One has to ask, if the people who elected these leaders so obviously do not want these wars, who does? Eisenhower warned of the increasing power and influence of the military industrial complex and it seems his worst fears have come true. He believed in a strong national defense, as do I, but warned that the building up of permanent military and weapons industries could prove dangerous if their influence got out of hand. After all, if you make your money on war, peace does you no good. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Obama Is Preparing for Perpetual War
In comments before the House and during a televised interview yesterday, Congressman Ron Paul pointed out that with the decision to increase troop presence in Afghanistan and into Pakistan, president Obama is preparing to continue on the path of “perpetual war for perpetual peace”. … Read the rest

Healthcare Freedom or Healthcare Bureaucracy?
The healthcare reform plans currently aim to empower Congress to dictate to insurers minimal standards of coverage. Those government standards will ultimately be determined by politicians and bureaucrats, not individual patients and doctors. It is naive to think that recommendations by an authoritative government panel will never be used to deny services to people that want them. … Read the rest

Audit the Fed Attached as an Amendment
I was pleased last week when we won a vote in the Financial Services Committee to include language from the Audit the Fed bill HR1207 in the upcoming financial regulatory reform bill. As it stands now, if HR 3996 passes, because of this action, the Federal Reserve’s entire balance sheet will be opened up to a GAO audit. We will at last have a chance to find out what happened to the trillions of dollars the Fed has been giving out. Finally, the blanket restrictions on GAO audits of the Fed that have existed since 1978 will be removed. … Read the rest

Operation Health Freedom – Ron Paul
In this final installment of our Operation Health Freedom video series, Congressman Paul talks about the need for less government in health care and mentions reforming the tax code to give us back more of our hard-earned dollars so we can pursue a much wider variety of health care options. … Read the rest

Press Release: Audit the Fed Amendment Passes House Committee
WASHINGTON-November 20, 2009 -During the House Financial Services Committee markup of the Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2009, Congressman Ron Paul’s (R-TX) amendment to increase Federal Reserve transparency was passed by a vote of 43 to 26. … “We are happy to see the Financial Services Committee preserve a measure to bring true Fed transparency,” said John Tate, President of Campaign for Liberty. “This amendment helps to ensure that real and complete audit legislation remains unaltered, and from here on out we will continue to push for a standalone floor vote of H.R. 1207.” … Read the rest

Americans Deserve a Transparent Fed
As strong opponents of government intervention into the economy, we do not want to see Congress directly dictate monetary policy. But while the Fed is involved so heavily in monetary policy and its actions so heavily influence the future of our economy, it is necessary that it be fully transparent. Interventions into the economy on the order of trillions of dollars cannot continue to escape public scrutiny. American taxpayers deserve better. … Read the rest

The Paul-Grayson Amendment
Our amendment is based on HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which has broad bipartisan and grassroots support. The bill is cosponsored by 309 Members of Congress, including all Financial Services Committee Republicans and 13 Financial Services Committee Democrats. The amendment removes restrictions on GAO audits of the Federal Reserve, as HR 1207 does, but makes a few changes to take into account some of the concerns that the Fed has made known in public testimony. Specifically, the Paul/Grayson amendment: … Read the rest

Competition With the Government?
It is fascinating that politicians would use the language of the free market in this way to justify more corporatism. This demonstrates a couple of things. One, that politicians truly do not understand the very basic tenets of a free market. By definition, a free market is free from government intervention. But once a little intervention is accepted as legitimate, politicians will blame the problems created by their intervention on the free market and present themselves as saviors that must intervene even more. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Monetary Policy
In his latest C4L update, Congressman Ron Paul discusses recent events that will have a significant impact on monetary policy, talks about the dollar, and answers a question concerning the IMF. … Read the rest

Healthcare Reform is Economic Malpractice
The past century should have taught us one thing: that government intervention is expensive. Government programs lend themselves so easily to waste, fraud and abuse. Combine that with overall inefficiency and it all adds up to a hefty price tag for the taxpayer, with not much leftover for actual services. An outright takeover of an entire sector of the economy, especially one as important as healthcare, is something that we just cannot afford for the government to do right now. Not to mention the fact that it is completely unconstitutional. But Washington insists on torturing the numbers and tinkering around the edges rather than facing this truth. … Read the rest

Government Statistics and Lies
There has been a lot of talk in Washington recently about senior citizens, mostly about how various healthcare reform models would help or hurt them. But there is another critical issue that has quietly devastated seniors financially over the last few decades. It concerns how the cost of living is calculated. How does the administration justify not giving a cost of living increase to Social Security recipients this year? According to the official Consumer Price Index calculation, life has gotten cheaper for the first time in decades. If the government can show statistically that the cost of living has gone down, not up, then they can make the case for not giving a cost of living increase to social security recipients. But does this match reality? Using older calculations of CPI, the cost of living has actually increased – by roughly 5 percent! Economist John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics has estimated that if the original methodology of CPI had not changed, Social Security checks would be nearly double what they are today. This represents a lot of money that politicians have been able to literally steal from seniors … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Important News on Audit the Fed
In this Audit the Fed update, Dr. Paul explains what is happening with HR 1207 in the Monetary Policy Subcommittee, describes his plan to protect 1207 in the full Financial Services Committee, and provides ideas on actions we can take to keep Audit the Fed from being watered down. … Read the rest

We Can’t Solve Our Problems With More of the Same
In his latest C4L video, Congressman Paul reports on a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing concerning Iran as well as a House Financial Services Committee hearing on financial regulations, and addresses the GDP. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Let the Dollar Prove Itself
If all this excess money begins to be loaned out, the Fed risks creating a hyperinflationary crisis similar to 1920s Germany. If the Fed contracts this money, it risks harming the banks it desperately wants to see bailed out. It is imperative that the American people know what the Fed is up to, how much money it loans to banks and what types of agreements it enters into with foreign banks and governments. Just about all of this information is exempt from audit or oversight. The Fed’s actions directly affect the value of the dollar, which is coming under increasing pressure from our foreign creditors. If we do not wish to see a complete collapse of the dollar, the Fed needs to be subject to a strict audit of its actions, if not an outright abolition of its charter. … Read the rest

Federal Reserve Policy Audit Legislation ‘Gutted,’ Paul Says
Representative Ron Paul, the Texas Republican who has called for an end to the Federal Reserve, said legislation he introduced to audit monetary policy has been “gutted” while moving toward a possible vote in the Democratic-controlled House. “There’s nothing left, it’s been gutted,” he said in a telephone interview. “This is not a partisan issue. People all over the country want to know what the Fed is up to, and this legislation was supposed to help them do that.” … Read the rest

Ron Paul on H1N1
In his latest C4L update, Ron Paul discusses the H1N1 “emergency,” health freedom, and Obama’s interesting decision. … Read the rest

Anything Less Than Full Disclosure is Unacceptable
Last week a new bill was introduced in the Senate to audit the Federal Reserve. Some backers of my bill HR1207 and the existing Senate companion bill S.604 were a little miffed at this, but depending on how you think about it, this new legislation poses no great threat to our efforts…. However, there is still very powerful resistance to the disclosures that HR 1207 would require and efforts to weaken it will continue to pop up before this issue is settled. The good news is that Washington is responding and the Federal Reserve has become the issue. Concerned Americans need to keep the pressure on by continuing to define what we want, and what we do not want. … Read the rest

The Very Busy Politicians in Washington DC
Yes, there certainly is a lot for Washington to do these days. Most, if not all, of what Washington is doing however, is more of what created the problems in the first place. Capitol Hill is filled with politicians running around putting out fires – but with gasoline. The truth is that all these fires keep so many powerful people employed and wealthy that it is not truly in many decision makers’ interests to be very effective problem-solvers. If Washington ran out of problems, think how many lobbyists would be out of a job, and how many special interest groups would just disband? Sadly, whatever is bad for the greater economy is good for the economy and job market in DC. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Freedom Watch 10/14/09
Ron Paul responds to Lindsey Graham’s comments … Read the rest

Saving Face in Afghanistan
This past week there has been a lot of discussion and debate on the continuing war in Afghanistan. Lasting twice as long as World War II and with no end in sight, the war in Afghanistan has been one of the longest conflicts in which our country has ever been involved. The situation has only gotten worse with recent escalations. … Read the rest

Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul gives his thoughts on awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, looks at the president’s pro-war record, and talks about the need for a true pro-peace movement. … Read the rest

Bombs and Bribes
Sadly, one thing that has entirely escaped modern American foreign policy is empathy. Without much humility or regard for human life, our foreign policy has been reduced to alternately bribing and bombing other nations, all with the stated goal of “promoting democracy”. This policy of endless intervention in the affairs of others is very damaging to American liberty and security. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Russia Today 10/1/09
Congressman Ron Paul sits down with RT’s Marina Portnaya to discuss rising Congressional support for FED Audit, Tea Parties, Iran, and the U.S. economy. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on AlJazeera English, 9/30/09 – Part 2
What does the US have left to offer the world? What impact can the US have on the global economy by getting the Federal Reserve in order? And has US President Barack Obama managed to lay the foundations for a solid US foreign policy? … Read the rest

Dr. Paul on the Iranian Nuclear Program
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul answers a supporter’s email question and discusses how our current interventionist foreign policy benefits neither the American people nor our national security situation. Congressman Paul presents a balanced view of the Iranian nuclear program while pointing out who really benefits from the administration’s more-of-the-same foreign policy. … Read the rest

The Real Reasons Behind Fed Secrecy
I have been talking about the immense, unchecked power of the Federal Reserve for many years, while the attention of Congress was always on other things. It was gratifying to see my colleagues asking probing questions and demonstrating genuine concern about this important issue as well. …The fact is that the Fed comes to Congress and talks about only what it wants to talk about, and the GAO audits only what the current laws allow to be audited. The really important things however, are off limits. There are no convincing arguments that it is in the best interests of the American people for anything the Fed does to be off limits. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Speech at Northrop Auditorium, 9/25/09
On Friday, Congressman Paul traveled to Minneapolis to appear at a Young Americans for Liberty-sponsored student town hall on the campus of the University of Minnesota. … Read the rest

House Financial Services Cmte. Hearing on H.R. 1207
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) chaired a hearing on legislation that would require the Government Accountability Office to audit the Federal Reserve. Scott Alvarez, General Counsel to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and Thomas Woods of the Ludwig von Mises Institute testified before the committee. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh
Congressman Ron Paul took some time at last week’s Northeast Regional Conference to talk about the upcoming G20 summit in Pittsburgh. … Read the rest

Trade Wars and Protectionism are not Free Trade
Free trade with all and entangling alliances with none has always been the best policy in dealing with other countries on the world stage. This is the policy of friendship, freedom and non-interventionism and yet people wrongly attack this philosophy as isolationist. Nothing could be further from the truth. Isolationism is putting up protectionist trade barriers, starting trade wars imposing provocative sanctions and one day finding out we have no one left to buy our products. Isolationism is arming both sides of a conflict, only to discover that you’ve made two enemies instead of keeping two friends. Isolationism is trying to police the world but creating more resentment than gratitude. Isolationism is not understanding economics, or other cultures, but clumsily intervening anyway and creating major disasters out of minor problems. … Read the rest

C-Span Video – End the Fed
Representative Ron Paul talked about his book, End the Fed (Grand Central Publishing; September 16, 2009). In the book, Representative Paul looks at the history of the Federal Reserve and argues that the institution should be held accountable for the economic crisis being experienced by Americans. He responded to questions from members of the audience. … Read the rest

Audit the Fed Hits 290 Cosponsors
On Constitution Day 2009, Dr. Paul announces that HR 1207 has reached two-thirds of the House and is now eligible for consideration under suspension of House rules. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Leave Government Out Of Insurance Plan
One of the strongest opponents of government intervention in reforming the health care industry is Ron Paul – a Republican congressman from Texas. He’s known to some as “Dr. No” for his opposition to tax hikes and refusal to vote for spending bills. He’s a doctor by training – an OB-GYN – and he’s written a new book called End the Fed – as in the Federal Reserve. He tells Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz that he doesn’t believe health care is a right. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Q&A: Audit the Fed, Then End It
In his new book – “End the Fed” – released today, Rep. Paul walks through his critique of the central bank and lays out a strategy (briefly) for eliminating it. We sat down with the congressman to hear his views on a money system backed by gold, the Fed’s challenge of withdrawing its stimulus and his legislation to audit the central bank. Excerpts of the interview: … Read the rest

The Growing Problem in Afghanistan
Dr. Paul discusses U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan and growing unrest over Obama’s expansion of the war and nation building efforts. … Read the rest

Healthcare Reform is More Corporate Welfare
Last Wednesday the nation was riveted to the President’s speech on healthcare reform before Congress. While the President’s concern for the uninsured is no doubt sincere, his plan amounts to a magnanimous gift to the health insurance industry, despite any implications to the contrary. … Read the rest

reddit.com Interviews Ron Paul
Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 … Read the rest

Audit the Fed Will Get Hearing in House Committee!
Congressman Ron Paul informed C4L today that House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank has officially agreed to hold hearings on HR 1207! The hearings are tentatively scheduled for Friday, September 25 at 9:00 am. Your efforts have resulted in Washington’s most secretive institution having to defend itself before the media, the American people, and now at a House hearing specifically focused on transparency. … Read the rest

Campaign for Liberty Update
Dr. Paul updates Campaign for Liberty on upcoming legislative and political events for the week of September 7, 2009. … Read the rest

Government Solutions Lack Understanding
But all of these problems and their wrong-headed solutions come from one greater problem – which is not understanding the reasons that we are here. The economy is in bad shape because of too much government intervention producing a myriad of unintended consequences and perverse incentives. Healthcare is broken because the doctor-patient relationship has been broken down by hyper regulation and too much government interference. Afghanistan is a mess because they ignored the mission approved by Congress – to seek out those who attacked us on 9/11. They have instead gotten sidetracked with nebulous interventionist tasks such as promoting democracy and nation building. Eight years later, there is no real progress. The Soviets bankrupted themselves fighting in the mountains and caves of Afghanistan and we’re about to do the same. … Read the rest

The Fed’s Interesting Week
Fed policies have been as bad for the economy as they are good for politicians and bankers, as the recently released numbers on the debt and deficit demonstrate. For the first time since World War II the annual budget deficit is projected to be over 11 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. It is also projected that by 2019 the national debt will be 68% of GDP. Our path, if unchanged, is completely untenable … Read the rest

Victoria Advocate Q&A With Ron Paul
The Advocate’s editorial board hosted U.S. Rep. Ron Paul at a special editorial board meeting on Tuesday, August 25.
You can watch the recorded broadcast on our Livestream channel here:
http://www.victoriaadvoca…
Click on the Livestream link above, click the On Demand button under the viewer screen, select U.S. Rep Ron Paul, Live Q&A. … Read the rest

Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell Chat
Dr. Paul sits down with his old friend Lew Rockwell to discuss Obamacare, Liberty, and the dangers of big government. … Read the rest

We Need Sunlight to Disinfect the Legislative Process!
It should be unconscionable for legislators to vote in favor of legislation they have not had the opportunity to read. This is why I have re-introduced the Sunlight Rule, H.Res 216. The Sunlight Rule prohibits any piece of legislation from being brought before the House of Representatives unless it has been available to read for at least 10 days. The Sunlight Rule allows citizens to move for censure of any House Member who votes for a bill in violation of this act. … Read the rest

Strategy to pass HR1207 & S 604 – Audit The Fed – Part 2 – Part 3
Congressman Ron Paul discusses the state of the Freedom Movement and strategy to pass HR1207 & S 604. From John Birch Society Lunch-on – Houston, TX – August 21, 2009 … Read the rest

The Free Market as Regulator
Too many people equate the free market with big business doing whatever it wants, but that is not the free market. Unconstitutional taxpayer funded bailouts are what allow giant corporations to run roughshod over the economy. The free market is what puts them out of business when they misbehave.

The free market is you and your neighbors working hard to produce what you produce, and exchanging goods and services voluntarily, in mutually agreeable arrangements. The free market is about respecting property rights and contracts. It is not about building up oligarchs and monopolies and confiscatory tax theft – these are creatures of government. … Read the rest

“Cash for Clunkers” Hurts the Poor
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul discusses the true effects of the “Cash for Clunkers” program and talks about how government intervention into the economy will only make things worse. … Read the rest

Healthcare Plan Based on Economic Fantasy
As the healthcare debate rages on, there is one reality that even the proponents of this hostile takeover of healthcare by government cannot ignore – and that is money. The government simply does not have the money for a new, expansive, public healthcare plan. The country is in a deep recession that will deepen even further with the coming collapse of the commercial real estate market. The last thing we need is for government to increase and expand taxes to pay for another damaging, wasteful program. … Read the rest

Health and Government Reform Bills by Congressman Ron Paul May Help Preserve Your Health Freedoms
Congressman Ron Paul introduced three bills that would restore constitutional government; end FDA censorship of health claims; and end FTC censorship of health information. … Read the rest

The Immorality of Taxpayer Funded Abortion
Forcing pro-life taxpayers to subsidize abortion is evil and tyrannical. I have introduced the Taxpayer’s Freedom of Conscience Act (HR 1233) which forbids the use of any taxpayer funds for abortion, both here and overseas. … Read the rest

What the Fed Has Done to Us
The Federal Reserve in collaboration with the giant banks has created the greatest financial crisis the world has ever seen. The foolish notion that unlimited amounts of money and credit, created out of thin air, can provide sustained economic growth has delivered this crisis to us … Read the rest

Audit the Fed Update
Dr. Paul updates Campaign for Liberty on progress in the House, Senate and gives his perspective on tactics our opponents may try. … Read the rest

Healthcare is a Good, Not a Right
Instead of further removing healthcare from the market, we should return to a true free market in healthcare, one that empowers individuals, not bureaucrats, with control of healthcare dollars. My bill HR 1495 the Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Act provides tax credits and medical savings accounts designed to do just that. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Obama Will “Destroy the Dollar”
Dr. Paul is interviewed here by Newsmax. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: The Fed Gives Capitalism a Bad Name
Russia Today covers the growing momentum behind Congressman Ron Paul’s efforts to rein in the Federal Reserve. … Read the rest

How a “Very Pessimistic” Ron Paul Would Fix the Economy
Congressman Ron Paul is “very pessimistic” about the state of the economy, largely because – from his view – the Obama Administration “continues to do the things that created the problem in the first place.” Long a proponent of small government and a staunch opponent of the Federal Reserve system, Paul’s main point is that increased spending and higher deficits are not the solution to our problems, but their cause. … Read the rest

Healthcare Is “Not a Right” and Obama’s Plan Will Cost Way Beyond $1T
Each proposal carries an estimated price tag of about $1 Trillion over the next decade. And that figure will probably balloon says Rep. Ron Paul. “They’ve never been right on projections of medical programs,” referring to his colleagues in Congress, “they’re always off by 100%, 200%. It always costs a lot more.” … Read the rest

The American People Demand Transparency! Audit the Fed!
“Why is Congress so sympathetic to transparency?” Paul wonders. “The American people are demanding it. They’ve awoken and said ‘we want to know what’s going on with our money. Why are you bailing out the rich guys?’ The timing is right. The conditions are right.” … Read the rest

Fed Independence or Fed Secrecy?
The hearings on Capitol Hill provided us with a great deal of information about the types of arguments that will be levied against meaningful transparency and how the secretive central bankers will defend the status quo that is so beneficial to them.

Claims are made that auditing the Fed would compromise its independence. However, by independence, they really mean secrecy. The Fed clearly cherishes its vast power to create and spend trillions of dollars, diluting the value of every other dollar in circulation, making deals with other central banks, and bailing out cronies, all to the detriment of the taxpayer, and to the enrichment of themselves. I am happy to challenge this type of “independence”. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Demands Audit of Fed
Congressman Ron Paul talks to Corbett Daly about his proposed audit of the Fed, HR1207. 7/9/09 … Read the rest

Celebrating the Fight for Freedom on the Fourth
This country was founded on principles of freedom from overbearing rulers, onerous taxation, and the right to live our lives as we see fit. Our independence was won after decades, and even centuries of abuses that unscrupulous, corrupted leaders and big governments visited upon their subjects. The Founders knew there was a better way, and they forged it here on this soil. … Read the rest

“‘Fight Them Over There vs. Over Here’ a False Choice”
In his op-ed in today’s Washington Times, Congressman Paul presents his case for a truly conservative foreign policy, and lays out five principles that would keep us safe and respected as we interact with the rest of the world. … Read the rest

Cap and Trade Will Lead to Capital Flight
The Cap and Trade Bill HR 2454 was voted on last Friday. Proponents claim this bill will help the environment, but what it really does is put another nail in the economy’s coffin. The idea is to establish a national level of carbon dioxide emissions, and sell pollution permits to industry as the Catholic Church used to sell indulgences to sinners. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Cap and Trade
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul discusses the House vote on Cap and Trade and reminds his colleagues that opposition to big government intervention should carry through to all acts against the Constitution. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: The Future of the Federal Reserve
President Obama’s financial regulatory plan has created controversy over the role of the Federal Reserve in our economy like rarely before. The person in Congress with perhaps the most unconventional point of view on these issues in American politics is Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), a longtime critic of the very institution of the Fed and fractional reserve banking. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Discussing IRAN on Radio America 6/22/2009
Ron Paul wants U.S. to stay out of Iran’s affairs … Read the rest

International Bailout Brings Us Closer to Economic Collapse
Last week Congress passed the war supplemental appropriations bill. In an affront to all those who thought they voted for a peace candidate, the current president will be sending another $106 billion we don’t have to continue the bloodshed in Afghanistan and Iraq, without a hint of a plan to bring our troops home. … Read the rest

Congressman Ron Paul on Healthcare
Having practiced medicine for over 30 years, Congressman Paul gives his perspective on the past and future of medicine in this country, and the effects of government and special interests on quality, costs and access. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Strong Opposition to the War Funding Bill
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this conference report on the War Supplemental Appropriations. I wonder what happened to all of my colleagues who said they were opposed to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wonder what happened to my colleagues who voted with me as I opposed every war supplemental request under the previous administration. It seems, with very few exceptions, they have changed their position on the war now that the White House has changed hands. … Read the rest

Moving Towards Tobacco Prohibition
Last week, another bill was passed and signed into law that takes more of our freedoms and violates the Constitution of the United States. It was, of course, done for the sake of the children, and in the name of the health of the citizenry. It’s always the case that when your liberty is seized, it is seized for your own good. Such is the condescension of Washington. … Read the rest

Audit the Fed Update
Congressman Ron Paul gives the latest exciting news on his legislation to audit the Federal Reserve and explains the possible next steps for the bill. … Read the rest

Statement on Global Warming Petition Signed by 31,478 Scientists
Madam Speaker, before voting on the “cap-and-trade” legislation, my colleagues should consider the views expressed in the following petition that has been signed by 31,478 American scientists: … Read the rest

GM, Amtrak and an Increasingly Fascist America
Comingling public control of private business is known as fascism. While today’s politicians may feel emboldened with all their new power, history will only repeat itself as all this collapses on itself. It is the height of hubris for bureaucrats and politicians to attempt to control the market and the freewill of the American people. In the end, the market always wins out … Read the rest

Congressman Ron Paul Talks Foreign Policy: New Face, Same Policy
Kathleen Wells: As a member of the U. S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, what is your take on this issue of torture?

Congressman Ron Paul: Well, it’s against the law – both our law and international law. So, we shouldn’t do it. And I’m against it for personal, moral reasons. I think it’s horrible. And for practical reasons, I think it’s absolutely worthless. And if we are serious about getting information, if we use other techniques, we actually get more information. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Hypocritical Posturing Toward China
It is unacceptable for Members of the House of Representatives to be asked to vote on legislation that is not available for them to read!

As to the substance of the resolution, I find it disturbing that the House is going out of its way to meddle in China’s domestic politics, which is none of our business, while ignoring the many pressing issues in our own country that definitely are our business. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Interviewed By Scott Horton on the Economy
Listen to this great interview on the economic disaster, how we got in and how to get out. … Read the rest

Fight Government Encroachment into Health Care!
With a faltering economy, and skyrocketing costs, healthcare continues to be a critical issue for all Americans. Unfortunately government encroachment into the doctor/patient relationship is poised to exacerbate our problems with healthcare. Congress should put the American people back in charge of healthcare by expanding healthcare tax credits and deductions, increasing access to Health Savings Accounts, respecting privacy and the doctor/patient relationship. Further politicizing and bureaucratizing of healthcare will only increase costs and reduce quality, as demonstrated by most other countries with socialized medicine. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on North Korea
Dr. Paul discusses the NPRK’s detonation of an atomic device, how they achieved that technology using subsidies from the Clinton Administration, and the importance of a noninterventionist foreign policy. … Read the rest

Torturing the Rule of Law
The government’s own actions and operations in torturing people, and in acting on illegally obtained and unreliable information to kill and capture, are the most radicalizing forces at work today, not any religion, nor the fact that we are rich and free. The fact that our government engages in evil behavior under the auspices of the American people is what poses the greatest threat to the American people, and it must not be allowed to stand. … Read the rest

Statement Introducing the Protect Patients’ and Physicians’ Privacy Act
Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Protect Patients’ and Physicians’ Privacy Act. This legislation protects medical privacy, as well as quality health care, by allowing patients and physicians to opt out of any federally mandated, created, or funded electronic medical records system. The bill also repeals the sections of federal law establishing a “unique health identifier” and requires patient consent before any electronic medical records can be released to a third party. … Read the rest

Audit the Fed, Then End It!
I have been very pleased with the progress of my legislation, HR 1207, which calls for a complete audit of the Federal Reserve and removes many significant barriers towards transparency of our monetary system. This bill now has nearly 170 cosponsors, with support from both Republicans and Democrats. Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a companion bill in the Senate S 604, which will hopefully begin to gain momentum as well. I am very encouraged to see so many of my colleagues in Congress stand with me for greater transparency in government. Some have begun to push back against this bill, and I am very happy to address their concerns. … Read the rest

Support H.R. 1146, to get the United States out of the United Nations
On February 24, Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Texas) introduced H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2009 in the House and the legislation was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill was cosponsored by Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R.-Tenn.) on March 19. The stated objective of H.R. 1146 is to end membership of the United States in the United Nations. It would accomplish this end by initiating the following actions: … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Marketplace (NPR)
Dr. Ron Paul was on the American Public Media show Marketplace on Thursday, May 14th. The segment was about the Federal Reserve receiving its own “stress tests”, in regards to HR 1207 – The Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Go here to read or listen to the segment: … Read the rest

Ron Paul Talks Socialized Medicine with Brian and the Judge 5/12/09
Ron Paul was interviewed by Judge Napolitano and Brian Kilmeade this morning on Fox News Radio. They talked about the recent moves toward socialized medicine. Keep in mind that Ron Paul is also a doctor so he speaks with some personal knowledge of this issue. In fact, he was a doctor prior to the current HMO system being put in place. The Judge, at one point asks, what is the free market solution to health care? … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Torture
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul responds to recent statements from the former administration, and points out that we are most endangered by our interventionism overseas. … Read the rest

On Af-Pak: Stop “Helping”
While much of the country’s attention is on other issues, a serious situation is developing in Pakistan that threatens to plunge us into another fruitless and bloody war. It is very frustrating to see that many who were so vehemently against the wars of the last administration have suddenly lost interest in foreign policy simply because we were promised change.

Those still paying attention know that nothing could be further from the truth. Very little has changed, except perhaps rhetoric, but what does that matter when the bombing missions are only getting deadlier? Rather than drawing down violent military interventions into the affairs of other countries, the new administration is escalating the foreign policy of the previous administration. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on the Reality Report 5/7/09
Congressman Ron Paul joins Gary on this edition of the Reality Report to discuss HR 1207 in detail. Franchi asks Dr. Paul if the Fed could “cook the books” during the audit, competing currencies, economic collapse and fields questions from the viewers. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Introduces H.J.R. 48: The Liberty Amendment
On April 30, 2009 the Hon. Ron Paul of Texas introduced the Liberty Amendment into the House of Representatives, as House Joint Resolution 48:

Proposing an amendment the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens. … Read the rest

When Government Plays Doctor
This week, concerns about swine flu have dominated the media and many government officials. While the American people should be made aware of infectious diseases and common sense preventative measures, much of the hysterical reaction from government only serves to remind us how detrimental to your health it can be when government plays doctor. … Read the rest

Ron Paul takes on “Big Pharma”: H.R. 2218: Parental Consent Act
The Bill is new, but the battle by Ron Paul against mandatory Mental Health Screening and the drugs used in our children is not. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Russia Today: ‘Obama Won’t Fulfill His Promises’
President Barack Obamas rhetoric is pretty good, but his economics are lousy, says Republican Congressman Ron Paul, who shared his views about Obama’s 100 days in office with RT. … Read the rest

Congressman Paul on the Swine Flu Scare, 4/27/09
Congressman Paul gives his perspective on the swine flu issue … Read the rest

Secession: the Ultimate States’ Right
America was born from an act of secession. When King George’s rule trampled on the rights of the colonies, we successfully seceded from England. It took a war, but we were well within our rights. We applauded when former soviet states seceded from the USSR and declared their sovereignty. And hopefully the United States will eventually secede from the United Nations.

Secession is the last resort of states whose sovereignty is over-ridden by an overreaching federal government. The federal government has only itself to blame for this talk. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s HR 1207 Update 4/27
Dr. Paul gives an update on his bill to Audit the Federal Reserve. … Read the rest

Ron Paul On The Lew Rockwell Show 4/24/09 – Part 2
Ron Paul on the Lew Rockwell Show: Secession, the Fed, and Tomorrow … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Alex Jones TV 4/24/09 – Part 2
Ron Paul is interviewed on the Alex Jones Radio Show … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Antiwar Radio 4/22/09
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) discusses the lack of change in Afghanistan and Iraq policy despite the Obama administration’s rhetoric, how a single high U.S.-casualty incident abroad could garner the support of Americans for more military intervention, the unwillingness of Democrats or Republicans to cut the Pentagon’s budget, the expansive new powers over the economy being exercised by the government and why he favors the prosecution of the previous administration for war crimes. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Interview On The Alan Colmes Radio Show – Part 2
Ron Paul Interview On The Alan Colmes Radio Show April.21, 2009 … Read the rest

Responses to Piracy
The recent episode with the Somali pirates has brought to the forefront many questions about maritime security. What is the best way to deal with a gang of criminals, not acting on behalf of any country, when they attack private vessels? Under whose jurisdiction are these types of criminals to be prosecuted? Most importantly, how do we deter such attacks in the future?

Already the administration is saber-rattling with typical big government so-called solutions, like “diplomatically” threatening the weak Somalian government, or any government of any country where pirates are thought to live, with military action if they fail to control the situation. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Secession
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul discusses the constitutional principle of secession. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Plan to Fend Off Pirates
A little-known congressional power could help the federal government keep the Somali pirates in check – and possibly do it for a discount price.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a growing number of national security experts are calling on Congress to consider using letters of marque and reprisal, a power written into the Constitution that allows the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe. … Read the rest

Montel: A Conversation with Ron Paul 04/16/2009
Congressman Ron Paul joined Montel on Thursday to discuss illegal wiretapping, civil liberties, Texas Governor Perry calling for Texas to secede and medical marijuana. Montel also asked Congressman Paul if he would help Montel file a lawsuit against the U.S. government for how they are handling the so-called war on drugs. … Read the rest

Montel: An Interview with Congressman Ron Paul 4/14/09
Congressman and former presidential nominee Ron Paul joined Montel to discuss the Tea Party movement, the Obama administration, and the role of government in the United States. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Somali Pirates 4/12/09
In his latest C4L video, Dr. Paul discusses a constitutional approach to dealing with security threats. … Read the rest

Fewer Taxes for Real Economic Stimulus
Taxes are the issue this week as Americans struggle to make the April 15th deadline to file their returns. It is a good time to contemplate the effects of big government and what it does to our country. The income tax is one of the most egregious encroachments on our liberties today. It is a form of involuntary servitude, which was supposed to have been outlawed by the 13th Amendment. … Read the rest

Budget Expands Government as Economy Contracts
Last week the House passed another budget that increases federal power, raises taxes, and increases the national debt. I voted against it, and was pleased to see that not a single Republican representative voted for it. Despite the deterioration of our economy, this is the largest budget ever passed, at $3.6 trillion. Gross domestic product and tax receipts are shrinking. The government has less money to spend this year, and so it spends more – $1.5 trillion more – than it has. When the economy expands, the government expands. Worse, when the economy contracts, the government expands more. Obviously we can’t continue down this road indefinitely … Read the rest

Turn Down the North Korea Volume, Argues Ron Paul
Rep. Ron Paul, the onetime Republican presidential candidate known for his strident libertarian policies, thinks everyone’s overreacting. His main points, released in a statement accompanying a video address:

1) North Korea has a legal right to launch a rocket into space.
2) North Korea isn’t a significant threat to the U.S.
3) The White House has reacted in an “overly bellicose and provocative manner.” … Read the rest

HR 1866, Industrial Hemp Farming Act
The Industrial Hemp Farming Act requires the federal government to respect state laws allowing the growing of industrial hemp. …Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food. …It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, competing in the global industrial hemp market. Indeed, the founders of our nation, some of whom grew hemp, would surely find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government. … Read the rest

Cures Can Be Found Act
This legislation promotes medical research by providing a tax credit for investments and donations to promote adult and umbilical cord blood stem cell research, and provides a $2,000 tax credit to new parents for the donation of umbilical cord blood that can be used to extract stem cells. …By providing tax incentives for adult and umbilical cord blood stem cell research, the Cures Can Be Found Act will ensure greater resources are devoted to this valuable research. The tax credit for donations of umbilical cord blood will ensure that medical science has a continuous supply of stem cells. Thus, this bill will help scientists discover new cures using stem cells and, hopefully, make routine the use of stem cells to treat formally incurable diseases. … Read the rest

Child Healthcare Affordability Act
The Child Health Care Affordability Act provides parents with a tax credit of up to $500 for health care expenses of dependent children. Parents caring for a child with a disability, terminal disease, cancer, or any other health condition requiring specialized care would receive a tax credit of up to $3,000 to help cover their child’s health care expenses. The tax credit would be available to all citizens, regardless of whether or not they itemize their deductions. The credit applies against both income and payroll tax liability. The tax credits provided in this bill will be especially helpful to those Americans whose employers cannot afford to provide health insurance for their employees … Read the rest

Freedom from Unnecessary Litigation Act
As its title suggests, this bill provides an effective means of ensuring that those harmed during medical treatment receive fair compensation while reducing the burden of costly malpractice litigation on the health care system. This bill achieves its goal by providing a tax credit for negative outcomes insurance purchased before medical treatment. The insurance will provide compensation for any negative outcomes of the medical treatment. Patients can receive this insurance without having to go through lengthy litigation and without having to give away a large portion of their award to a trial lawyer. … Read the rest

Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Act
Returning control over health care to the individual is the key to true health care reform. The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act puts control of health care back into the hands of the individual through tax credits, tax deductions, improving Health Savings Accounts, and Flexible Savings Accounts. Specifically, the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act: … Read the rest

Opposition to HR 1388 – National Service
The idea that it is legitimate for the federal government to take money from one group of citizens and use that money to bribe other citizens into performing “national service” violates the basic moral principles of individual liberty that this country was founded upon. …In fact, to suggest that the young Americans need a federal check as an incentive to volunteer is an insult to the American people. … Read the rest

Bills to Help the Unemployed
Madam Speaker, today I am introducing two pieces of legislation to help the increasing number of Americans who, because of the Government-created recession, have lost their jobs. The first piece of legislation, the Unemployed Tax Relief, makes a laid-off worker’s last paycheck tax free.

The second bill, the Unemployment Assistance Act, allows the unemployed to make penalty-free withdrawals from accounts such as Roth IRAs or 401(K)s, to cover routine living expenses, health care expenses, or to help pay for education and job training. Those who make these penalty-free withdrawals while unemployed will be able to replenish their accounts once they have started a new job. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul Is Enthusiastic About HR 1207
Now is the time to do more! When people found out that Congress had quietly appropriated millions for AIG bonuses, people were outraged. Imagine their reaction when they hear about the TRILLIONS the Fed has secretly been sending to Wall Street! … Read the rest

Ron Paul Discussing Budget with Legislative Assistant Paul-Martin Foss
Urge your Congressperson to cosponsor HR1207 to audit the Federal Reserve! Sign the petition! … Read the rest

Ron Paul on the Wrong Kind of Peace Treaty
Over the past thirty years, the United States taxpayer has transferred to – some might say “bribed” – Israel and Egypt well over 100 billion dollars as a payoff for their leaders’ signature on the treaty. Particularly in this time of economic hardship, where so many Americans are out of work and facing great financial challenges, I hardly believe we should be celebrating that which increases the strain on taxpayers. I believe we should cease all foreign aid to all countries, as it is a counterproductive and unconstitutional transfer of wealth from US taxpayers to governments overseas. … Read the rest

End the War on Drugs
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis. Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government. Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented. … Read the rest

C4L St. Louis
Ron Paul and Andrew Napolitano speak at the first ever Campaign for Liberty Regional Conference in St. Louis 3/27/09 … Read the rest

Ron Paul on the Jim Bohannon Radio Show 03-24-09 – Part 2
Dr. Paul on the Jim Bohannon Show 03-24-09. Listen to Parts 1 and 2. Dr. Paul’s parting words of wisdom…”Fight for Liberty”…Enjoy … Read the rest

HR 1207 Update
Ron Paul gives an update on HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which would thoroughly audit the Federal Reserve System. … Read the rest

Bankruptcy is Economic Stimulus
The distraction on Capitol Hill this week has to do with the jackpot bonuses that executives at AIG recently received. The argument is over a relative drop in the bucket. The total amount of bonuses given out was $165 million. The government has put $170 billion into AIG so far. Many now are demanding we get this money back. We ought to be spending our time and effort doing something more worthwhile, like figuring out how the Federal Reserve is handling the trillions of dollars they are creating and pumping into the economy, and how that is affecting the purchasing power of dollars in your pocket. Video link … Read the rest

Earmarks Don’t Add Up
Earmarks seem to be the hot topic this week, and as a fiscal conservative I am dismayed so many people deliberately distort the earmarking process and grandstand to make political points. It is an easy thing to do with earmarks. It takes a little more time and patience to grasp the reality of what earmarks really are. … Read the rest

Imagine
Imagine for a moment that somewhere in the middle of Texas there was a large foreign military base, say Chinese or Russian. Imagine that thousands of armed foreign troops were constantly patrolling American streets in military vehicles. Imagine they were here under the auspices of “keeping us safe” or “promoting democracy” or “protecting their strategic interests.” … Read the rest

Is Spending the Answer?
Congress and the administration once again showed their lack of economic understanding, as they ramped up spending to record levels. They believe that to get back to a booming economy money needs to start changing hands again – and the quickest way to do this is for the federal government to massively expand spending to pump new money into the system. If spending was the solution, we never would have had a problem. The economy could be helped if the government would just get out of the way and restore sound monetary and fiscal policies … Read the rest

End the Fed’s Secretiveness
I rise to introduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? … Read the rest

Congressman Ron Paul on Monetary Policy hearing
After Congressman Paul’s statement at the Financial Services Committee hearing on the state of the economy with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, GOP Financial Services stopped by his office to get further comment. (Note: Audio is low on the video.) … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Russia Today 02-24-09
Barack Obama is working hard to save the U.S. economy from the ongoing financial crisis. But is he doing everything right? Prominent U.S. policymakers John Bolton and Ron Paul join RT with comments. … Read the rest

On Transparency of the Fed
Because of legal tender laws, people are left with no real choice, except to build their lives and futures around this monopoly currency, vulnerable to powerful central bankers. The Founding Fathers intended only gold and silver to be used as currency, however, inch by inch over the decades, this country has backed away from this important restraint. … People are demanding answers and explanations for our economic malaise, and we should settle for nothing less than the whole truth on monetary policy. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Bill Press Radio 02-23-09
Ron Paul on the radio with Bill Press “The Official Morning Show of the Obama Generation” … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty Update 2-20-09
Dr. Paul on Obama’s housing bill, interventionism in Afghanistan, and what the price of gold is telling us. … Read the rest

Stem Cell Research (featuring Ron Paul)
Pat Kondelis is back on the streets asking ordinary folks what they think about stem cell research. Along the way, he even sheds a bit of light on what this issue is all about. And Ron Paul lends us his point of view, too! … Read the rest

Ron Paul on 1210 Radio 02-17-09 – Part 2
Dr. Ron Paul on 1210 Big Talker radio, WPHT Phialdelphia with Dom Giordano on 02-17-09. … Read the rest

Ron Paul – The Law vs The Empire
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) discusses the wisdom of using letters of marque and reprisal instead of waging conventional wars to fight terrorism, the slippery slope from government-mandated national service to military conscription, why the richly deserved criminal investigation of key Bush administration officials won’t happen and the deleterious effects of Plan Columbia and the U.S. war on drugs. MP3 here … Read the rest

On Reinstating the Draft
Proponents of reinstating the draft claim it is needed to protect liberty from enemies abroad. But what about the enemies of liberty right here at home? I am convinced that there are more threats to American liberty within the 10 mile radius of my office on Capitol Hill than there are on the rest of the globe. … Read the rest

What If The American People Learn The Truth?
What if we wake up one day and realize that the terrorist threat is a predictable consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others? What if it is finally realized that war and military spending is always destructive to the economy? What if we finally see that wartime conditions always undermine personal liberty? What if Obama has no intention of leaving Iraq? What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together? What if Christianity actually teaches peace and not preventive wars of aggression? What happens if my concerns are justified and ignored … Read the rest

Dr. Paul’s Walls II – Taft on the Draft
Congressman Ron Paul discusses a framed Robert Taft quote that hangs on his wall concerning the draft, his personal experiences with the draft, and his thoughts today on its possible return. … Read the rest

Freedom From Government
Money is the Trojan horse that government uses to infiltrate and infect organizations. Funding that, on the outset, is designed to strengthen and support, will bureaucratize and regulate in the end. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul on the Senate Stimulus “Compromise” 2/7/09
In his latest video, Dr. Paul discusses the compromise on the Senate “stimulus” package, what lies ahead for the bill, and the true nature of the economic crisis. … Read the rest

The Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act
Madame Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to restore financial stability to America’s economy by abolishing the Federal Reserve. Since the creation of the Federal Reserve, middle and working-class Americans have been victimized by a boom-and-bust monetary policy. In addition, most Americans have suffered a steadily eroding purchasing power because of the Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies. This represents a real, if hidden, tax imposed on the American people. … Read the rest

Cures for Our Economic Disease
I have recently had several opportunities on various news programs to discuss the economy and what is wrong with the so-called economic stimulus package. I have said over and over what we shouldn’t be doing, and now I’d like to explain what we should be doing. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on C-Span’s Washington Journal 1/29/09
Representative Ron Paul talked about the House passage of the $819 billion stimulus bill by a vote of 244-188, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic mail. Representative Paul, a Financial Services Committee member, voted against the bill, as did the other 178 Republicans in the House. … Read the rest

Stimulus for Who?
There is a lot of stimulus and growth in this bill – that is, of government. Nothing in this bill stimulates the freedom and prosperity of the American people. Politician-directed spending is never as successful as market-driven investment. Instead of passing this bill, Congress should get out of the way by cutting taxes, cutting spending, and reining in the reckless monetary policy of the Federal Reserve. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on Obama’s Foreign Policy 1-25-09
Dr. Paul discusses President Obama’s interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East. Dr. Paul describes how the Obama foreign policy will not be fundamentally different from the policy of the last eight years. … Read the rest

Ron Paul’s Approach to Reversing Roe v. Wade
It is a case of reaping what we sow. By transferring the authority to oversee equal protection of the laws from the states to the federal government (particularly the federal courts), we have inadvertently also given the federal courts the converse power to abolish those rights! In this case, the most fundamental right of all – the right to life! … Read the rest

Living Beneath Our Means
The fiat dollar standard that evolved after the breakdown of Bretton Woods in 1971 has ended. This is a consequence of our privileged position of living way beyond our means for too many years. At present, all efforts worldwide are directed toward salvaging a financial system that cannot be revived. The only tool the economic planners have is the creation of trillions of dollars of new money out of thin air. All this does is delay the inevitable and magnify the future danger. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul on Obama’s Inauguration Speech
Dr. Paul discusses President Obama’s inauguration address. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on The Alex Jones Show “Opportunity for True Freedom in 2012” – Part 2
… Read the rest

Strengthening or Weakening the Economy?
Freedom, not government, made this the land of opportunity. Freedom laid the foundation that catapulted us to becoming the strongest economic power in the world. The American people are strong and capable. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul’s Walls I – German Hyperinflation
Dr. Paul has some German marks from 1923 framed on his wall to demonstrate the effects of hyperinflation. … Read the rest

TARP Funds and Financial Services Hearing
Congressman Ron Paul on TARP funds and the recent Financial Services Committee Hearing … Read the rest

Ron Paul at Financial Services Hearing 1/13/09
Here’s Congressman Ron Paul’s opening statement at the House Financial Services Committee hearing on January 13, 2009 dealing with the TARP funds. Ben Bernanke had “more important” things to do and was a no-show. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Grills Fed Governor 1/13/09
Congressman Ron Paul questions Donald L. Kohn, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, at the House Financial Services Committee hearing on January 13, 2009. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on International Banking and Gaza 1-12-09
Dr. Paul discusses the TARP funds and Bernanke’s slight to Congress … Read the rest

Stimulating Our Way to Rock Bottom
I am left with these questions – who is going to be left standing, to tax in the private sector, to pay for all these public sector make-work jobs? Is Washington really to be considered some sort of savior for creating unproductive jobs in place of the productive jobs they eliminated?

We are at an economic dead-end and those in power are in denial. The truth is our economic problems are due to loose monetary policy, central economic planning, and the parasitic expenses of government. Unless we assess these problems honestly, we unfortunately have a long way to go until, like the junkie, we hit rock bottom. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Interview with Russia Today
Israel’s critics and enemies will see the United States as the side to be blamed for the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip, believes Congressman Ron Paul. He says the US should review its unconditional support of the Jewish state. … Read the rest

Weapons Killing People In Gaza, Made In USA
As an opponent of all violence, I am appalled by the practice of lobbing homemade rockets into Israel from Gaza. I am only grateful that, because of the primitive nature of these weapons, there have been so few casualties among innocent Israelis. But I am also appalled by the longstanding Israeli blockade of Gaza — a cruel act of war — and the tremendous loss of life that has resulted from the latest Israeli attack that started last month. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Israeli Acts in Gaza ‘Immoral’
Congressman Ron Paul condemns the violence in the Gaza Strip, saying the “collective punishment” against Palestinians is immoral.

“Many innocent children are among the dead. While the shooting of rockets into Israel is inexcusable, the violent actions of some people in Gaza does not justify killing Palestinians on this scale,” said the outspoken Republican. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul’s Comments on Market Intervention
Ron Paul Madoff “Irrelevant SEC + Congress + Moral Hazard + US Gov’t Ponzi Schemes” January 5, 2009 House Financial Services Committee Madoff “it’s really not official” hearing … Read the rest

Ron Paul Stresses Neutraliy In Gaza
Ron Paul Stresses Neutraliy In Gaza “a Concentration Camp” 01-05-09…Listen closely to what Dr. Paul says Then do your homework. Google: “Arthur James Balfour” and “Balfour Declaration of 1917”. Also, know that Israel came into existence through British doctrine fulfilling an “obligation” to Rothschild, and ultimately U.N. intervention. Wherever there was/is British foreign policy and the U.N., there is evil. You MUST read The Fearful Master, by G. Edward Griffin, to fully understand the history and purpose of the U.N…. Join the Campaign for Liberty!!! … Read the rest

Opportunities for Peace and Nonintervention
We should follow the foreign policy advice of the Founders – friendship and commerce with all nations. … However, the pressures exerted on our leadership from the military industrial complex and big business is not in favor of peace or freedom, or especially nonintervention. Intervention is big business. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul on the Travesty in Gaza
Dr. Paul discusses the invasion of Gaza on January 3, 2009 and its implications for America. … Read the rest

Transition and Hope
As another year draws to a close, there are some important transitions ahead of us. Not just transitions to a new administration, but also economically, politically and culturally. … Read the rest

There Is Reason for Hope
Lew Rockwell interviews Ron Paul on the crisis and the future of liberty. … Read the rest

Government and Fraud
Merely passing a law does not fix any problems, just as throwing paper at a recession does not stop it. How can a government so complicit in mandatory public fraud effectively pre-empt private fraud? I see no reason to believe that any new law, or regulatory agency will solve anything. But I do see liberty slipping away every time Congress decides to “do something” … Read the rest

Economic Freedom or Socialist Intervention?
I am afraid the American auto industry will soon learn that having billions rain down from Washington will not be the blessing one might expect. The government, after it subsidizes an industry, tends to become a very demanding benefactor … Read the rest

Congressman Ron Paul on Bailing Out the Auto Industry
At the time of filming the House had passed the legislation. Later this evening, the Senate rejected it. 12/12/08 … Read the rest

Ron Paul Radio Interview ‘Nationalization’
Dr. Paul was interviewed about the auto bailout and other economic issues on Newsradio AM 740 KTRH out of Houston, Texas. 12/9/2008 … Read the rest

Gun Control: Protecting Terrorists and Despots
The fact is that firearm technology exists. It cannot be uninvented. As long as there is metalworking and welding capability, it matters not what gun laws are imposed upon law-abiding people. Those that wish to have guns, and disregard the law, will have guns. Gun control makes violence safer and more effective for the aggressive, whether the aggressor is a terrorist or a government. … Read the rest

The Neo-Alchemy of the Federal Reserve
One key attribute that gives money value is scarcity. If something that is used as money becomes too plentiful, it loses value. That is how inflation and hyperinflation happens. Giving a central bank the power to create fiat money out of thin air creates the tremendous risk of eventual hyperinflation … Read the rest

The Bailout Surge
There was also renewed pressure this week to bailout homeowners and send another round of stimulus checks to “Main Street” to balance out all the handouts to big business. It seems that eventually the entire economy is going to be blanketed over with Federal Reserve notes. Most in Washington are completely oblivious as to why this model of money creation and spending is so dangerous. … Read the rest

The Austrians Were Right
Madame Speaker, many Americans are hoping the new administration will solve the economic problems we face. That’s not likely to happen, because the economic advisors to the new President have no more understanding of how to get us out of this mess than previous administrations and Congresses understood how the crisis was brought about in the first place. … Read the rest

Ron Paul Answers your Questions
Ron Paul recently made himself available to the New York Times’ Freakonomics Blog to answer reader’s questions. So many questions came in that they decided to divide it into two separate features. The second one came out today. You can read them both here and here. … Read the rest

Restricting Freedoms and Choices
With its strident rhetoric toward reestablishing the so called “pro-choice” agenda, the incoming administration has threatened a whole host of policies that would not only reduce restrictions on abortion, but would actually force people who wish to avoid participating in the procedure to support it. …These facts should also serve to remind social conservatives that they are better to leave the legislative remedies for important social issues at the level where they constitutionally belong, namely at the discretion of state and local officials. The centralization of power that seemed so attractive to many conservatives just a few years ago no longer seems pleasant at all in light of a more liberal-minded majority in both Houses of Congress and the White House. … Read the rest

An Interview With Dr. Ron Paul
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. MP3 here … Read the rest

Why U.S. Is on the Wrong Track
The questions now being asked are: Where to go from here and who’s to blame for the downfall of the Republican Party? The real question is why is the US on the wrong track and how do we fix it? … Read the rest

Hopes for the Future
I hope this new administration will help bring us together, and not further divide us. I have always found that freedom is the best way to break down barriers. A free society emphasizes the importance of individuals, and not because they are part of a certain group. That’s the only way equal justice can be achieved. … Read the rest

The Moral Hazard of Regulation
Since the bailout bill passed, I have been frequently disturbed to hear “experts” wrongly blaming the free market for our recent economic problems and calling for more regulation. In fact, further regulation can only make things worse. It is important to understand that regulators are not omniscient. … Read the rest

Fed Chairmen I’ve Known (and Opposed)
Ron Paul speaks at the Mises Supporters Summit … Read the rest

Spending the Economy into Oblivion
With news this week that Congress is poised to consider a new stimulus package, I am forced to again ask a question that seems silly in Washington: How will we pay for this? … Read the rest

The Economic Crisis and Our Future
Ron Paul appeared on the Lew Rockwell Show on October 26, 2008 to talk about the economic crisis and our future. … Read the rest

Too Big to Fail?
The monetary manipulations of the Federal Reserve, a complex tax code, the many “oversight” agencies and their mountains of regulations show that we are far removed from a free market economy.

Just as economies that turned away from slave labor had a transition period, our economy would transition as well, but in the end, if we turned to honest, sound money and a truly free market, we would end up with a more just society, founded on truthfulness and decency, not subject to the violence of force or the whims of fraudulent institutions. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Bailout Means We’ll All Suffer
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who has been an opponent of the government’s bailout plan, spoke Friday with CNN’s Kiran Chetry on “American Morning.”

The Texas Republican says the bailout’s infusion of government money will lead to inflation, that our current monetary system is coming to end, and the market, not politicians, can best solve the economic crisis. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Washington’s True Maverick Talks Bailouts, the United States Constitution and Re-Making the US Dollar
We are now living in a nation where Federal social and economic programs are our government, where our currency status hinges on the stock market rather than the gold standard and where our current President has taken more liberties with the United States constitution than any other President in our country’s history. Under these circumstances, Ron Paul just doesn’t seem to fit in. Reason being: we’ve grown accustomed to, and quite comfortable with, large Federal government and the act of re-shaping laws for convenience. … Read the rest

Capitalism Without Capital?
It has been long understood that our federal government is going deeper into debt, consistently raising the debt ceiling and demonstrating no fiscal restraint. … More inflation, and creating moral hazard by bailing out egregious offenders, is a recipe for disaster. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on the State of the Economy
Ron Paul recorded a series of short videos on October 10th that offer analysis on the current financial problems:

On Restoring Confidence in the Markets
On Market Intevention
On the Possibility of the End of Capitalism
On the “Safety Net” Concept
On Capital and Capitalism … Read the rest

The Do-Something Congress
It has not been a good week for the Republic. It took quite a bit of trampling of the Constitution, but the bailout bill passed, as I suspected it would.

The rallying cry heard all over the Hill the past two weeks was that Congress must act. Our economy is facing a meltdown. Would this bill fix it? Nobody could really explain how it would. In fact, few demonstrated any real understanding of credit markets, of derivatives, of credit default swaps or mortgage-backed securities. If they did, they would have known better than to vote for this bill. … Read the rest

Ron Paul on the Passage of the Wall Street Bailout
Congressman Ron Paul gives us his thoughts on the passage of the bailout bill just minutes after leaving the floor. … Read the rest

Dr. Paul’s Statement on the Passage of the Bailout
Madame Speaker, only in Washington could a bill demonstrably worse than its predecessor be brought back for another vote and actually expect to gain votes. That this bailout was initially defeated was a welcome surprise, but the power-brokers in Washington and on Wall Street could not allow that defeat to be permanent. It was most unfortunate that this monstrosity of a bill, loaded up with even more pork, was able to pass. … Read the rest

Lipstick on a Bailout
People are right to be concerned about our financial future. I’ve been talking for 30 some years about reasons we need to be concerned and change our ways. We find ourselves now in a position of no good options, and no silver bullets. But the worst thing we can do is to compound our problems by intensifying the mistakes of the past. … Read the rest

Predictions vs. Reality in Iraq
Many scoffed at my “radical” predictions at the time, regarding them as hyperbole. Six years later, I am forced to admit that I was wrong. My “radical” predictions were in fact, not “radical” enough. … Read the rest

In Government We Trust? Part 3
I’ve discussed just a few benefits of sound money in the last two weeks, and contrasted them to the perils of fiat currency….So if sound money is such a good thing, what is stopping people from simply trading with each other in gold and silver? … Read the rest

In Government We Trust? Part 2
Can sound money give you financial security? There is something very comforting in knowing that what you earn today will retain its purchasing power in the years to come … Read the rest

In Government We Trust? Part 1
Can sound money really bring about peace? Actually, it plays a big part in peaceful international relationships. Money based on commodities, rather than paper, is not subject to government manipulation, and is a key component to free and honest trade. … Read the rest

Freedom Is Golden
Freedom empowers the individual. Central planning dehumanizes the masses. There may always be a struggle for power and government, but for this reason, freedom will always win out in the end. … Read the rest

How Foreign Policy Affects Gas Prices
One important factor is that oil on the world market has been priced in dollars exclusively since 1973….Another major factor is our intervention in international military conflicts. … Read the rest

What’s in a Bill Name?
Recently Congress passed the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act., also known as the Housing Bill. Its passage was lauded by many who are legitimately concerned about foreclosures and the housing market in our country’s economy. I was asked how I could vote against a bill to help American homeowners, but I found this bill to have more to do with helping big banks than helping average Americans. The answer is that there is more to any bill than its name or the headlines surrounding it. … Read the rest

Washington’s Intervention Addiction
One problem with politicians is that when problems they create come to a head, they typically feel this irresistible urge to DO something, rather than to UN-do something, or to simply back off to avoid exacerbating the situation. … Read the rest

The Dangers of Neo-Conservative Economic Policies
The dangers inherent in the foreign policy advocated by the neo-conservatives are well known. While many Americans have become increasingly aware of those dangers, far less attention has been focused on the dangers of neo-conservative economic policies. … Read the rest

Faith-Based Currency
The Latin term “fiat” roughly translates to “there shall be”. When we refer to fiat money, we are referring to money that exists because the government declares it into existence. It is not based on production or earnings, and not backed by any commodity. It is solely based on trusting the government. Fiat money is exchanged in the economy as long as there is faith in the government that issues it. Some are blaming the recent shakeup in the markets to “whining” or financial fear-mongering, which misses the whole point. History has shown that fiat money, or “faith-based currency” always fails, because when governments claim this power, they always behave irresponsibly. … Read the rest

Ron Paul: Something Big is Happening
Madam Speaker, I have, for the past 35 years, expressed my grave concern for the future of America . The course we have taken over the past century has threatened our liberties, security and prosperity. In spite of these long-held concerns, I have days–growing more frequent all the time–when I’m convinced the time is now upon us that some Big Events are about to occur. These fast-approaching events will not go unnoticed. They will affect all of us. They will not be limited to just some areas of our country. The world economy and political system will share in the chaos about to be unleashed. … Read the rest

Ron Paul The Gary Null Show Interview
A Revealing Investigation of John McCain and his NeoCon Roots preceeds the Interview … Read the rest

Getting Out of Iraq
What will it take to get our troops out of Iraq? The roughly 70 percent of Americans who are firmly against the war often ask this question. … Read the rest

Real Change
Change, real change, the only kind of change that will quench the thirst of the American people for a new direction and provide us with the prosperity and security necessary to preserve our Republic as a beacon of liberty, requires bold initiatives designed to move our country away from economic peril by putting faith in free citizens instead of in Washington.

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