2011 Ron Paul 29:2
I rarely speak on the House floor, and almost never have I ever come to the floor two times in one day to speak on this one issue. But this is my fourth trip to the floor today on this issue because I consider it so important and so serious.
2011 Ron Paul 29:3
If I could rename this bill, I would call it “a bill to authorize the use of force in Libya.” That is what we’re doing. We should not kid ourselves—we are authorizing the use of force. We are endorsing the Obama war in Libya.
2011 Ron Paul 29:4
Some see this as weakening our presence over there, but there is no doubt, if you read it carefully, we are expanding and giving authority because of the exceptions. The exceptions include search and re-search, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, refueling, planning—contract labor probably can still go in, the CIA is in there already, special forces. And paying for it: How can you do all that without paying for it? So we are there.
2011 Ron Paul 29:5
This will be the first time the President will have received any information from the Congress that it’s okay to pursue what we’re doing. We’re supposed to be sending the message that we’re in charge of when we go to war and when we pay for this war. We’re not just supposed to lie over and capitulate to what the President wants—as we have been for too many years.
2011 Ron Paul 29:6
So there is no doubt that I think the proper vote here, the proper constitutional vote, the proper vote for the best
of our national interests, the best vote for peace is to vote this resolution down just as we voted the previous resolution down. We should prohibit the use of funds.
2011 Ron Paul 29:7
A lot of us complain on this House floor because of the way the President went to war—he didn’t come here, he went to NATO. But this supports NATO. One of the arguments in favor of this bill is we have the exceptions, so we don’t want to break ties and our allegiance to NATO. Well, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing, we’re supposed to be reclaiming the sovereignty and the responsibilities here in the House. We are not supposed to roll over for NATO and the United Nations. We’re supposed to stand up for this country.
2011 Ron Paul 29:8
We are not supposed to go into war under these conditions. And under those circumstances, I strongly urge a “no” vote on this resolution.
