The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under
the Speaker’s announced policy of January
19, 1999, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. PAUL) is recognized during
morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
1999 Ron Paul 3:1 Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my fellow
colleagues, how long will the war
go on before Congress notices? We have
been bombing and occupying Iraq since
1991, longer the occupation of Japan
after World War II. Iraq has never committed
aggression against the United
States.
1999 Ron Paul 3:2 The recent escalation of bombing in
Iraq has caused civilian casualties to
mount. The Clinton administration
claims U.N. resolution 687, passed in
1991, gives him the legal authority to
continue this war. We have perpetuated
hostilities and sanctions for more than
8 years on a country that has never
threatened our security, and the legal
justification comes from not the U.S.
Congress, as the Constitution demands,
but from a clearly unconstitutional authority,
the United Nations.
1999 Ron Paul 3:3 In the past several months the airways
have been filled with Members of
Congress relating or restating their fidelity
to their oath of office to uphold
the Constitution. That is good, and I
am sure it is done with the best of intentions.
But when it comes to explaining
our constitutional responsibility to
make sure unconstitutional sexual harassment
laws are thoroughly enforced,
while disregarding most people’s instincts
towards protecting privacy, it
seems to be overstating a point, compared
to our apathy toward the usurping
of congressional power to declare
and wage war. That is something we
ought to be concerned about.
1999 Ron Paul 3:4 A major reason for the American
Revolution was to abolish the King’s
power to wage war, tax, and invade personal
privacy without representation
and due process of law. For most of our
history our presidents and our Congresses
understood that war was a prerogative
of the congressional authority
alone. Even minimal military interventions
by our early presidents were for
the most part done only with constitutional
approval.
1999 Ron Paul 3:5 This all changed after World War II
with our membership in the United Nations.
As bad as it is to allow our presidents
to usurp congressional authority
to wage war, it is much worse for the
President to share this sovereign right
with an international organization
that requires us to pay more than our
fair share while we get a vote no greater
than the rest.
1999 Ron Paul 3:6 The constitution has been blatantly
ignored by the President while Congress
has acquiesced in endorsing the
8-year war against Iraq. The War Powers
Resolution of 1973 has done nothing to
keep our presidents from policing the
world, spending billions of dollars, killing
many innocent people, and jeopardizing
the very troops that should be defending
America.
1999 Ron Paul 3:7 The continual ranting about stopping
Hussein, who is totally defenseless
against our attacks, from developing
weapons of mass destruction ignores
the fact that more than 30,000 very real
nuclear warheads are floating around
the old Soviet empire.
1999 Ron Paul 3:8 Our foolish policy in Iraq invites terrorist
attacks against U.S. territory
and incites the Islamic fundamentalists
against us. As a consequence, our
efforts to develop long-term peaceful
relations with Russia are now ending.
This policy cannot enhance world
peace. But instead of changing it, the
President is about to expand it in another
no-wincenturies-old fight in
Kosovo.
1999 Ron Paul 3:9 It is time for Congress to declare its
interest in the Constitution and take
responsibility on issues that matter,
like the war powers.
Notes:
1999 Ron Paul 3:1
longer the occupation of Japan probably should be
longer than the occupation of Japan.
1999 Ron Paul 3:3
the airways have been filled
probably should be
the airwaves have been filled.
1999 Ron Paul 3:3
constitutional responsibility probably should be capitalized:
Constitutional responsibility.
1999 Ron Paul 3:3
congressional power probably should be capitalized:
Congressional power.
1999 Ron Paul 3:4
congressional authority probably should be capitalized:
Congressional authority.
1999 Ron Paul 3:4
constitutional approval probably should be capitalized:
Constitutional approval.
1999 Ron Paul 3:6
The constitution probably should be capitalized: The Constitution.
