2002 Ron Paul 50:1
Mr. Speaker, supporters of
fiscal
responsibility, a rational foreign policy, and constitutional
government can
find little, it anything, to support in the Supplemental Appropriations
bill (HR
4775). HR 4775 enlarges the federal deficit, increases the size of the
federal
government, jeopardizes the Social Security trust fund, and, by
removing
resources from individuals and placing them under government control,
depresses
economic growth.
2002 Ron Paul 50:2
Despite being sold as a
national
security bill, most of the spending in this bill bears little
relationship to
protecting the American people from terrorism. For example, this bill
contains
funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission, federal courts, and
various
welfare programs. In addition, this bill spends millions on
unconstitutional
foreign aid. Mr. Speaker, some may say that foreign aid promotes
national
security, but if that were true America would be the most beloved
country on
earth. After all, almost every country in the world has in some way
benefited
from Congress’ willingness to send the American people’s money oversees.
2002 Ron Paul 50:3
Even much of the military
spending in
this bill has no relationship to legitimate national security needs.
Instead it
furthers an interventionist foreign policy which is neither
constitutional nor
in the best interests of the American people. For example, this
supplemental
contains a stealth attempt to shift our policy toward Colombia,
expanding our
already failed drug war to include direct participation in Colombia’s
38-year
civil war. Though a bill on Colombia was scheduled for markup in the
International Relations committee, for some reason it was pulled at the
last
minute. Therefore, the committee has not been able to debate this
policy shift
on Colombia. We are instead expected just not to notice, I suppose,
that the
policy shift has been included in this bill.
2002 Ron Paul 50:4
Our expanded interventionism in
Colombia is called "counterterrorism," but no one has even attempted
to demonstrate that Colombia’s civil war poses even a remote terrorist
threat to the United States. In fact, the only terrorist threat from Colombia I
have seen actually counsels against our deepening involvement. According to House
International Relations Committee briefing materials made available
last month:
2002 Ron Paul 50:5
"We have hundreds of
temporary duty personnel in Colombia on any given day, in addition to
our agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), military
advisors, contractors, and embassy personnel. If U.S. presence expands
to help Colombia fight terrorism as well, these alarming IRA explosives
tactics could be used directly and intentionally against American
facilities and employees."
2002 Ron Paul 50:6
If anything, this is an argument
against getting more deeply involved in Colombia’s internal affairs, as
it rightly recognizes that our involvement will only inflame the other
side and thus open the door to retaliation against our interventionism.
2002 Ron Paul 50:7
The war on drugs in Colombia
is failing miserably. Under "Plan Colombia," coca production has increased 25
percent in the period between 2000 and 2001. The production of cocaine
increased by roughly the same amount. More cocaine was coming out of Colombia
into the United States at the end of 2001, during Plan Colombia, than at the end
of 2000, before Plan Colombia. Is this a reason to expand our involvement into
Colombia’s civil war?
2002 Ron Paul 50:8
US commercial interests — not
national security — are a big factor in our shifting policy toward Colombia. We
have already seen an administration request for an additional $98 million to
help protect the Caño-Limon Pipeline - jointly owned by the Colombian
national oil company and Occidental Petroleum. This supplemental will provide for
the first installment of this money to be paid to protect Occidental’s pipeline.
2002 Ron Paul 50:9
We are being dragged into a
civil war in Colombia that has nothing to do with us and nothing to do with
international terrorism. Those who want to send American money and troops into the
Colombian quagmire do not want debate, because their claims that a 38 year civil
war somehow has something to do with 9/11 ring hollow.
2002 Ron Paul 50:10
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I must object to
this bill on the grounds that it enables further increases in
government spending by providing a method to increases the debt ceiling. It is bad
enough that Congress is increasing the debt limit, but this rule provides a
procedure whereby the debt limit will be raised in conference, away from public
scrutiny. It makes a mockery of open government to impose more government debt on
hardworking Americans and future generations by subterfuge.
2002 Ron Paul 50:11
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, HR
4775 contains increases in unconstitutional spending on wide variety of
welfare programs and foreign aid. It also ignores the true security interests
of the American people by spending valuable resources on a flawed Colombian
policy. This bill also creates conditions for further expansions in spending by
providing a procedure to raise the debt ceiling safe from public
scrutiny. HR 4775 thus threatens the liberty and prosperity of all Americans so I
urge my colleagues to reject this bill.
Note:
This statement was posted in Ron Paul’s Congressional website, but appearently never made it into Congressional Record. It may have been composed for the Extensions of Remarks section but not submitted.
This chapter appeared in Ron Paul’s Congressional website at http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2002/cr052402.htm
