Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. PAUL).
(Mr. PAUL asked and was given permission
to revise and extend his remarks.)
1999 Ron Paul 42:1 Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the
gentlewoman for yielding time to me.
1999 Ron Paul 42:2 Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the
rule. The rule is far from perfect, but it
allows adequate debate, and it will certainly
allow us who think that it is unwise
to increase the spending to vote
against the spending. It certainly allows
an opportunity for those who
think that we should double the spending
to explain why we should spend so
much money on a war that we have not
declared.
1999 Ron Paul 42:3 Mr. Speaker, we have to realize that
this war has been pursued for over a
month. We have not appropriated the
funds, so whether or not we act today,
the war will continue, unfortunately.
The war has not been declared, but if
we go ahead and fund it, we become
partners in this war. I do not think
that is a wise policy. We should not
provide the funding.
1999 Ron Paul 42:4 Mr. Speaker, there is a fallacy, that
floats around this House that says that
if we increase the funding for the military,
we will have greater defense.
That reminds me of the accusation
from the right that always challenges
the left that says, if there is a social
problem, all you want ever to do is
throw more money at it. The worse the
problem gets, the more money they
want to spend on the social problem.
1999 Ron Paul 42:5 It seems like the worse our defense
gets and the more we get into quagmires
around the world and the more
we accept the policy of policing the
world, all we seem to do is come back
and say, well, if we just put more
money in it, everything is going to be
okay.
1999 Ron Paul 42:6 But if we are in a quagmire, if we are
following a policy that is unwise, the
money might just make conditions
much worse. I think this is why we
must defeat the spending on this program,
because the problems with what
is happening in Bosnia and Kosovo and
Iraq will be compounded as long as the
administration has the money to fund
the war.
1999 Ron Paul 42:7 Yes, I am for a strong national defense,
but if the policy is wrong, it will
undermine all the spending. The money
will actually be wasted. Funding encourages
a policy that is in error.
Funding is an endorsement of the war.
We must realize that it is equivalent to
it. We have not declared this war. If we
fund it, we essentially become partners
in this ill-advised war.
Note:
1999 Ron Paul 42:1
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Here, Ron Paul thanks The Honorable Sue Wilkins Myrick of North Carolina.
