2003 Ron Paul 87:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.
The CHAIRMAN pro tempore (Mr.
TERRY). Without objection, the gentleman
is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
2003 Ron Paul 87:2
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Chairman, let me mention once again that the amendment
strikes all the funding for
UNESCO. We have been out of UNESCO
since 1984. President Reagan took us
out of UNESCO, and that was a very
popular move. The argument now is
that UNESCO has made some reforms
and therefore we should get back in.
But their goals have not changed. I
have already mentioned some of the
goals of UNESCO, and they are not
beneficial to us and they do not represent
American ideals; it is an attack
on American sovereignty. But during
these 18 years since we have been out
of UNESCO, it has only been the last
year or two where they have talked
about reforms. So over all these years,
nothing has been done.
2003 Ron Paul 87:3
But more importantly, it is the goals of UNESCO. For instance, UNESCOs
position on international taxation is
that they would like to impose an
international tax. If that is what the
people want, if that is what the Congress
wants, then you vote against my
amendment. But if you think it is a
bad idea for the U.N. and UNESCO to
be leveling a worldwide tax, then you
vote for my amendment.
2003 Ron Paul 87:4
I do not think the American people want that. I think the American people
do not want to sacrifice their sovereignty
and they would like not to
have the United Nations and UNESCO
interfering in our curricula. We have
enough problems ourselves here to
allow our States and our local communities
to manage their schools with the
interference of the Federal Government.
And now here we are talking
about an international organization designing
a curriculum for our schools.
Their goals are not American. Their
goals are internationalist. I quoted just
a little while ago from one of their
pamphlets that says they do not even
believe in nationalism, that it was a
bad thing, that it was a result of families
teaching children bad things, to believe
in nationalism.
2003 Ron Paul 87:5
I do not believe that. I have not come around to that belief. Being a member
in a world community does not mean
that you have to sacrifice your sovereignty.
Being a member of a world
community means that we should get
along with people, that we should not
be fighting with people, we should be
trading with people; but that does not
imply the necessity of having an international
government. This is what is
implied here. In this day and age we go
to war under U.N. resolutions; but here
our children are going to war with the
education system by the United Nations
dictating to us educational standards.
2003 Ron Paul 87:6
But they do other things as well. UNESCO, for instance, has been fully
supportive of the United Nations Population
Fund in its assistance to Chinas
brutal, coercive population control
program. That is part of UNESCO. I do
not believe the majority of the Members
of Congress really believe that is a
good expenditure. And you cannot control
the money once it gets to
UNESCO, believe me. We send the
money, we send a larger amount of
money than anybody else, we lose control
of it and they do these things that
I think are illegitimate as far as our
Constitution is concerned.
2003 Ron Paul 87:7
UNESCO has designated already 47 U.N. biosphere reserves in the United
States covering more than 70 million
acres without congressional consultation.
This project has led to the confiscation
of private lands and restrictions.
Because we do go along with the
restrictions, it is somewhat like following
WTO mandates. They come
back with regulations and mandates,
and we accommodate them by rewriting
our tax laws. In the same way, they
are moving in, with radical
environmentism that originates from
UNESCO and it filters into our grade
schools as well as our kindergartens.
UNESCO effectively bypasses congressional
authority to manage Federal
lands, including places like the Everglades,
and it is done without congressional
approval.
2003 Ron Paul 87:8
UNESCOs World Heritage Convention has taken treasured American
public monuments to be designated
world heritage sites. This is a movement
away from the concept of national
sovereignty. This means that
there will not be control by the American
people through their Representative.
That makes every single one of us
less significant, not only in the issue of
war but now in the issue of schools and
taxation. Yes, it moves slowly, it is not
overwhelming; we still have a lot of
control, but we are losing it gradually.
And we do know that even those who
objected to the war in Iraq would have
been quite happy if only the United Nations
would have passed a resolution
that permitted us to go to war. I do not
like that kind of a world. The only
oath of office I take is the oath to the
U.S. Constitution and UNESCO does
not conform to that oath.
The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. The
question is on the amendment offered
by the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
PAUL).
The question was taken; and the
Chairman pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.