Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Paul].
1997 Ron Paul 72:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. This is a form of welfare that should be stopped. We have poor man’s welfare, foreign welfare, and corporate welfare. This is an example of foreign and corporate welfare. The program really ought to be abolished.
1997 Ron Paul 72:2
If it is true that this program pays its own way, then there is no need for us to be here. Why are they asking for $32 million? It is a good program. Some insurance company will take it over.
1997 Ron Paul 72:3
Obviously, they need the $32 million that is in here. But there is something else involved here that is very, very important. On the very chart that was standing here a minute ago, it was showing that they do fabulously, this tremendous income of $299 million in 1996, which is true. But in looking at this Price Waterhouse balance sheet, financial report for 1996, it shows that OPIC owns $2.47 billion worth of bonds. Right above it, as a matter of fact, the line went through it, so you could not read it, it said that the income from these treasuries was $166 million. That is what it is costing the taxpayers.
1997 Ron Paul 72:4
We are giving a subsidy to OPIC in the back door by paying interest. It appears on the budget as an interest payment. I mean this is really close to outright deception on the part of many here in the Congress as well as the American people. So it is not paying its own way.
1997 Ron Paul 72:5
The other argument, we heard it expressed several times now, is that this is a very necessary program because it goes where the private market will not go. That is precisely the reason we should not be there, because there is a risk. The businessman will not go there because it is too risky.
1997 Ron Paul 72:6
So what do we do? We ask the American taxpayers to back it up. What to
do? To take our businesses from this country, export the business and export the jobs. Most of this money goes to big companies. If we look at their record over the past 6 years, these big companies have had a significant shrinkage of employment. These jobs are going overseas. Programs like this serve to export jobs, and this amendment should be passed.
