Ron Paul Quotes.com 2004 Ron Paul Chapter 21 Ron Paul Quotes.com: North American Development Bank 24 March 2004 Home Page   Contents Congressional Record (Page H1392)   Cached Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.

North American Development Bank 24 March 2004 2004 Ron Paul 21:1 Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 254 expands the authority of the North American Development Bank (NAD), which was created in the allegedly free-trade NAFTA agreement, to make below-market loans. H.R. 254 also expands the geographic area in which the NAD bank operates. This bill is economically unsound and blatantly unconstitutional and I hope my colleagues will reject it. 2004 Ron Paul 21:2 Supporters of the NAD claim that the bank facilitates economic development and thus improves the quality of life for those living in regions where NAD finances projects. In fact, the NAD bank hinders economic development. 2004 Ron Paul 21:3 When Congress funds institutions like NAD, it transfers resources from the private sector to the government. When resources are left in the private sector, they are put to the use most highly valued by individual consumers. In contrast, the use of resources transferred to the public sector by agencies like NAD is determined by bureaucrats and politically powerful special interests, thus assuring that the resources cannot be put to their highest-valued use. Therefore, determining the allocation of resources through the political process decreases economic efficiency. Thus, NAD will actually cost jobs and reduce the standard of living of the very workers NAD’s supporters claim to benefit! 2004 Ron Paul 21:4 I would also like to remind my colleagues that there is no constitutional authorization for Congress to fund organizations like the NAD. If my colleagues are not convinced by the constitutional argument, I would hope they would consider the wisdom of expanding the scope of taxpayer support of programs like the NAD at a time when the government is facing massive deficits and Congress is scrambling to find the money to pay for national priorities. 2004 Ron Paul 21:5 In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand up for sound economics and constitutional principles by rejecting H.R. 254, legislation expanding the North American Development Bank.

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