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Ron Paul Quotes
Congressional Record
18 March 1998
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. PAUL).
1998 Ron Paul 27:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I compliment the gentleman from California for bringing it to this floor.
1998 Ron Paul 27:2
This is an immensely important constitutional issue and one that we should pay close attention to and obviously support. I would like this same principle, of course, to apply across the board, especially when it comes to bombing foreign countries, like Iraq, because we should not be involved in war efforts without the consent of the Congress.
1998 Ron Paul 27:3
The Constitution is very, very clear on this. Unfortunately, policy has drifted away from a noninterventionist constitutional approach. Just in the last 2 days we had five resolutions implying that we have the economic strength, we have the military power and the wisdom to tell other people what to do.
1998 Ron Paul 27:4
Usually it starts just with a little bit of advice that leads next to then sending troops in to follow up with the advice that we are giving. So I think this is very, very important, to get this out on the table, debate this, and for Congress to reassume the responsibility that they have given to an imperial presidency.
1998 Ron Paul 27:5
Prior to World War II there were always debates in the House of Representatives any time we wanted to use military force. Whether it was 150 years ago, when we decided to spread our borders southward towards Mexico, or whether 100 years ago when we decided to do something in Cuba, it came here. They had the debates, they had the arguments, but they came to the floor and debated this.
1998 Ron Paul 27:6
Today, ever since World War II, we have reneged on that responsibility. We have turned it over to the President and allowed him to be involved. We have given him words of encouragement that implies that we support his position. We do so often and, as far as I am concerned, too carelessly. But when we do this, the President then assumes this responsibility; and, unfortunately, since World War II, it has not even been for national security reasons.
1998 Ron Paul 27:7
The Persian Gulf War was fought with the assumption that the administration got the authority from the United Nations. If we are to express ourselves and to defend our national sovereignty, we should have the Congress vote positive on this resolution because it is so critical.
1998 Ron Paul 27:8
Today, we have been overextended. Our military is not as strong as some people believe. Our economy is probably not nearly as strong as some believe. We have troops that could be attacked in Korea. We have the potentiality of bombing Baghdad at the same time we have troops in harm’s way in Bosnia. So we have spread ourselves too thinly, and we are vulnerable.
1998 Ron Paul 27:9
We have a responsibility here. The Congress has a responsibility to the American people. We are here to defend the national sovereignty and the protection of the United States. Troops in Bosnia threatens our national security and threatens the lives of the American citizen who is protecting or fighting in this region. So it is up to us to assume this responsibility.
Notes:
1998 Ron Paul 27:1 Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Ron Paul refers to The Honorable Tom Campbell of California.
1998 Ron Paul 27:6 We have given him words of encouragement that implies that we support his position. is grammatically correct if it is the encouragement, not the words, implying. Other interpretations are, We have given him words of encouragement that imply that we support his position. and We have given him words of encouragement. That implies that we support his position.
1998 Ron Paul 27:9 Ungrammatical Troops in Bosnia threatens our national security and threatens the lives of the American citizen who is protecting or fighting in this region. perhaps should be Having troops in Bosnia threatens our national security and threatens the lives of the American citizen who is protecting or fighting in this region. or perhaps Troops in Bosnia threaten our national security and threaten the lives of the American citizen who is protecting or fighting in this region.
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