An Open Letter to Conservatives On Behalf of Ron Paul

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Doctor Ron Paul has always been a conservative. He first became politically active supporting Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign in 1964, while he was serving as an Air Force flight surgeon. Ron Paul was one of the few congressmen to rally behind Ronald Reagan's 1976 bid for the GOP presidential nomination. He was first elected to Congress in 1976 on a Reagan-esque platform of halting inflation, cutting taxes, and shutting down unconstitutional Federal programs. Paul is currently in his tenth term in Congress, where he has earned the nickname "Dr. No" for his strict, constant refusal to vote in favor of legislation that does not pass Constitutional muster.

Ron Paul has never voted to raise taxes and never voted to approve deficit spending. From 2001 to 2004 alone he voted against over 700 bills that would expand the federal government.

Paul's campaign to re-enter Congress in the 1990's was backed by the likes of Steve Forbes and hard-core conservatives across the country. His presidential bid has been endorsed by none other than Barry Goldwater, Jr., and Dr. Paul has won much acclaim from noted conservatives such as Pat Buchanan, Bob Novak, and Milton Friedman.

The following is a sampling of Ron Paul's voting record, and legislation he sponsored in Congress, which highlights his truly Conservative stance on the big issues.

Gun Rights

Texas Republican Paul is one of only 4 House members to earn an A+ rating from Gun Owners of America, indicating gun rights "leadership" in the form of introducing pro-2nd-Amendment legislation. Gun Owners of America characterizes Paul thusly:

Ron Paul has been a leader in the fight to defend and restore the Second Amendment. He has sponsored legislation to repeal the following:

  • the Brady law;
  • the requirement to lock up your safety (guns);
  • the law permitting the US to be part of the UN (which, among other attacks on American freedoms, seeks to ban privately transferred firearms);
  • participation in UNESCO – which has been used to dumb down US education standards;
  • the federal prohibition on importation of guns on a sporting basis test;
  • federal prohibitions on any pilot wishing to carry a handgun to and in his cockpit; and, the so-called “assault weapons” ban (prior to its sunsetting in 2004).

Immigration/ Border Security

Ron Paul voted FOR the Secure Fence Act of 2006, authorizing the fencing of large swaths of the southern border.

Paul voted FOR enhanced border security in 2002 (H.R. 3525), which called for more border guards, and stricter Visa rules, especially on visas issued to terrorist-spawning countries like Saudi Arabia.

Ron Paul is the only candidate calling for an end to birthright citizenship – one of the biggest incentives for illegal immigration.

  • Sponsor, H.J. RES 46: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to deny United States citizenship to individuals born in the United States to parents who are neither United States citizens nor persons who owe permanent allegiance to the United States.

Pro-Life

Dr. Ron Paul was an ob-gyn who delivered over 4,000 babies in private practice. He has always been staunchly pro-life, and takes the proper Constitutional position that criminal laws are determined by the states and the US Supreme Court should have no jurisdiction in the matter. Paul voted for the Right to Life Constitutional Amendment in his early years in Congress. More recently, he has sought the Constitutional option of removing federal court jurisdiction over abortion laws.

In 2005 and 2007, Paul introduced the Sanctity of Life Act (H.R. 300), which would remove federal court jurisdiction over abortion cases arising from state laws and effectively negate Roe v. Wade as binding legal precedent.

  • Sponsor, H.R.1094: To provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.
  • Voted to ban partial-birth abortion (Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 2003)

War on Terror/ Foreign Policy

Paul voted FOR US forces going in Afghanistan in 2001 to hunt down Bin Laden (H.J. RES 64), but AGAINST nation building in Afghanistan (H.R. 3994, May 2002)

"I supported going after Al Qaida into Afghanistan – but, lo & behold, the neocons took over. They forgot about Bin Laden. And what they did, they went into nation-building, not only in Afghanistan, they went unjustifiably over into Iraq. And that’s why we’re in this mess today." –Ron Paul, Iowa Straw Poll debate

Voted FOR enhanced border security in 2002 (HR 3525), which provided for more border guards and stricter visa rules.

Constitutional Anti-Terrorism legislation introduced by Ron Paul:

  • Sponsor, H.R.3216 (Marque and Reprisal Act): To authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal with respect to certain acts of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, and other similar acts of war planned for the future.
  • Sponsor, H.R.3217 (Terror Immigration Elimination Act): To limit the issuance of student and diversity immigrant visas to aliens who are nationals of Saudi Arabia, countries that support terrorism, or countries not cooperating fully with United States antiterrorism efforts.

Ron Paul: "The fight against terrorism should be fought largely at our borders."

  • Sponsor, H.R. 3305 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007): Provides that no federal agency shall prohibit an airline pilot, copilot, or navigator, or law enforcement person specifically detailed for protection of an aircraft, from carrying a firearm.

Ron Paul has always stood firm for national sovereignty; that's why he has consistently called for US withdraw from the UN:

  • Sponsor, H.R. 1146, "To end membership of the United States in the United Nations."
  • Sole Sponsor, H.R. 3890 "A bill to limit United States contributions to the United Nations."

He even tried to get the US out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty!

  • Sole Sponsor, H.J.RES.566: "A joint resolution withdrawing the United States of America from the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems, and the Interim Agreement Protocol, and Agreed Interpretations of the Treaty, signed of May 26, 1972."

Economic Policy

As an ardent student of economics in the tradition of the great free-marketers Hayek and von Mises, Ron Paul is definitely the most conservative Congressman when it comes to economic policy:

  • Sponsor, H.J. RES. 23, Constitutional Amendment to abolish the income tax
  • Sponsor, H.R.1662, requiring the government to mint gold bullion coins (passed)
  • Sponsor, H.R.2415: To reduce the price of gasoline by allowing for offshore drilling, eliminating Federal obstacles to constructing refineries and providing incentives for investment in refineries, suspending Federal fuel taxes when gasoline prices reach a benchmark amount, and promoting free trade.

Congressman Paul has been consistently critical of the Federal Reserve as the cause of inflation and business cycles. He has repeatedly called for the abolition of the central bank and a return to hard money, as authorized by the Constitution (Art. I Sec. 8 and 10). In an early term in Congress, Paul introduced legislation to decrease congressional pay by the rate of inflation.

Additionally, Dr. Paul has tirelessly introduced legislation to reduce taxes on tips and dividends, end the death tax, institute numerous tax deductions, and otherwise whittle away at the IRS.

"The only one behaving like a real republican is Ron Paul, who actually wants to cut spending and get government out of our lives. He won't win the nomination because too many republicans are into handouts and redistribution, just like democrats." ~ Cal Thomas

"If the Framers of the Constitution were somehow to come back, Ron Paul is one of possibly only three people in Congress that they'd even talk to." ~ Walter Williams, Economist and regular fill-in for Rush Limbaugh

"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country." ~ Ronald Reagan

For a more comprehensive report of Ron Paul's record and conservative views, see here and here.

January 31, 2008