2006 Ron Paul 15:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this legislation, which makes emergencies
out of non-emergencies and fails to provide
assistance to my home State of Texas, which
did suffer an emergency in the form of Hurricane
Rita last summer.
2006 Ron Paul 15:2
First, I should note to my colleagues and the American taxpayer that, at almost $92 billion,
this is the largest supplemental appropriations
request in the history of the U.S. Congress.
2006 Ron Paul 15:3
Is it really an emergency to send $1.2 billion to pay off our allies for their help in Afghanistan?
Wont these countries in close proximity
presumably benefit more than even we will
from the stability that we are told U.S. troops
will provide? Perhaps these countries should
be paying us for stabilizing their neighborhood.
But no, it is always the U.S. taxpayer who
ends up paying.
2006 Ron Paul 15:4
Is $36 million more for taxpayer-funded broadcasting programs overseas really an
emergency?
2006 Ron Paul 15:5
Is $30 million to build roads in Liberia an emergency, when roads in Texas are still
unrepaired after Hurricane Rita?
2006 Ron Paul 15:6
Mr. Chairman, I am offering an amendment to this emergency supplemental that reduces
some of the non-emergency emergencies
by $500 million and allocates that
money for the recovery of the State of Texas
from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Additionally,
my amendment will take another half-billion
dollars from the non-emergency portions of
this bill and apply it toward the Federal deficit.
2006 Ron Paul 15:7
The real emergency is the rate that this government is spending money we do not have
on policies that we cannot afford while ignoring
what should be our real priorities.