1998 Ron Paul 31:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition
to H.R. 3579, the Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act, a bill to further fund, at the
expense of airports and Section 8 Housing Assistance,
the unconstitutional effort to “police
the world.” Having submitted amendments to
the Rules Committee to defund the “police the
world” aspects of this bill only to be denied in
the Rules process, I must oppose final passage
of this supplemental Appropriations bill.
1998 Ron Paul 31:2
One of the truly positive aspects of H.R. 3579 is Sec. 3002 stating that “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available
by this Act may be made available for the
conduct of offensive operations by United
States Armed Forces against Iraq for the purpose
of obtaining compliance by Iraq with
United Nations Security Council Resolutions
relating to inspection and destruction of weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq unless such
operations are specifically authorized by a law
enacted after the date of the enactment of this
Act.” This language is virtually identical to
H.R. 3208, a bill I introduced in February of
this year to require Congressional consent
prior to any offensive attack by the United
States on the Republic of Iraq.
1998 Ron Paul 31:3
Unfortunately, Congress has refused to acknowledge
anytime recently that the proper
and constitutional role of the U.S. military is to
provide for the national defense and not the
security of all foreign entities against attacks
by all other foreign entities. It was for this reason
that I submitted amendments to defund
the military appropriations in H.R. 3579. The
proper amount of appropriations for unjustifiable
United States peacekeeping missions
around the world is zero. Instead, this bill rescinds
funding from domestic programs such
as airport funding to be spent on our
“police-the-world” program.
1998 Ron Paul 31:4
It has become the accepted political notion
in this century that war is a Presidential matter
in which Congress may not meddle, and certainly
never offer dissenting views. Yet, no
place in the Constitution do we find a presidential
fiat power to conduct war. To the contrary,
we find strict prohibitions placed on the
President when it comes to dealing with foreign
nations. The Constitution is clear: No war
may be fought without a specific declaration
by the Congress.
1998 Ron Paul 31:5
I, in fact, introduced H.R. 3208, in an effort
to protect US troops from unnecessary exposure
to harm and to stop President Clinton
from initiating the use of force in the Persian
Gulf. As a former Air Force flight surgeon, I
am committed to supporting troops and believe
the only way to completely support soldiers
is to not put them in harms way except
to defend our nation. Of course, those drumming
for war say they want everyone to support
the troops by sending them into battle: a
contradiction, at best.
1998 Ron Paul 31:6
There is absolutely no moral or constitutional
reason to go to war with Iraq or further
intervene in Bosnia at this time. To go to war
to enforce the dictates of the United Nations,
or to play the part of ‘policemen of the world,’
offends the sensibilities of all who seek to follow
the Constitution. I refuse to participate in
(or fund) an action which would possibly expose
even one soldier to risk when there is
absolutely no immediate threat to the territory
of the United States.
1998 Ron Paul 31:7
For these reasons I must oppose this bill
which provides additional funding for exactly
these purposes.
Notes:
1998 Ron Paul Chapter 31
The text of this chapter was inserted in CongressionalRecord as an extension of remarks, and was not spoken on the House floor.
1998 Ron Paul 31:5 harms way probably should contain an apostrophe and read harm’s way,
as found in
1998 Ron Paul 27:8.
