Budget & Economy

The Time for Action is Now

The severe economic crisis America has experienced over the past several years, including growing inflation, rising gas prices, trillion-dollar budget deficits, immoral bailouts, and the ever-declining value of the dollar, is just the tip of the iceberg if our nation does not immediately change course.

Unheeded Warnings

As the crash approached, Ron Paul was heavily criticized by the establishment media and even many of his fellow Republicans because he would not back down from his warnings about where big government policies were leading America.

When those warnings came true, however, our President and leaders in Congress didn’t let the crisis “go to waste” and used it as an excuse to expand government intervention and power on an unprecedented level.

Excessive spending, artificial credit, and market manipulation crashed our economy, and no one should be surprised that these same policies continue to prolong the suffering for millions of Americans.

We need a President who is not afraid to make the tough decisions necessary to restore America’s economy and guarantee future prosperity.

Real Solutions

As President, Ron Paul will lead the way out of this crisis by:

• Vetoing any unbalanced budget Congress sends to his desk.
• Refusing to further raise the debt ceiling so politicians can no longer spend recklessly.
• Fighting to fully audit (and then end) the Federal Reserve System, which has enabled the over 95% reduction of what our dollar can buy and continues to create money out of thin air to finance future debt.
• Legalizing sound money, so the government is forced to get serious about the dollar’s value.
• Ending the corporate stranglehold on the White House.
• Driving down gas prices by allowing offshore drilling, abolishing highway motor fuel taxes, increasing the mileage reimbursement rates, and offering tax credits to individuals and businesses for the use and production of natural gas vehicles.
• Eliminating the income, capital gains, and death taxes to ensure you keep more of your hard-earned money and are able to pass on your legacy to your family without government interference.
• Opposing all unfunded mandates and unnecessary regulations on small businesses and entrepreneurs.

These are just a few of the steps we can take to put America back in place as the world’s leading economy.  Taking a stand for these principles has often been a lonely fight in Congress for Ron Paul, but, now more than ever, our nation needs a President who will champion sound money, responsible spending, lower taxes, and free market enterprise.

Voting Record

• Member of House Banking Committee. (Mar 2011)
• Voted YES on terminating the Home Affordable mortgage Program. (Mar 2011)
• Liberty Candidate: End the Federal Reserve. (Sep 2010)
• Voted NO on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
• Voted NO on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (Mar 2009)
• Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief. (Jan 2009)
• Raise small business depreciation to $125,000. (Jul 2009)
• Wall Street is dumping its trouble onto Main Street. (Sep 2008)
• Mortgage & Financial Institutions Trust: more of the same. (Sep 2008)
• Wasteful government spending backed by both parties. (Apr 2008)
• There’s payback for guns and butter. (Feb 2008)
• Repeal 16th Amendment and get rid of the income tax. (Feb 2008)
• Great nations and empires end for financial reasons. (Feb 2008)
• Live within our means and start paying down the deficit now. (Feb 2008)
• All bets are off if a cataclysmic dollar devaluation occurs. (Feb 2008)
• We owe foreigners $2.7 trillion and more printing won’t do. (Feb 2008)
• Stimulus package means more printing & devaluing the dollar. (Feb 2008)
• Economic Revitalization Plan: “Prescription for Prosperity”. (Feb 2008)
• We’re worse off than in 2000, due to Bush & Congress. (Jan 2008)
• The people, not government, are supposed to run the economy. (Jan 2008)
• Reagan was very sympathetic to the gold standard. (Jan 2008)
• Federal Reserve creates money and prints it out of thin air. (Jan 2008)
• Economic stimulus ok, but not via spending & printing money. (Jan 2008)
• Dollar crashing due to trillions spent on maintaining empire. (Jan 2008)
• Waving a flag the whole time on spending. (Jan 2008)
• Lower interest rates CAUSED housing bubble & can’t solve it. (Jan 2008)
• The longer the Fed delays recession, the worse the recession. (Jan 2008)
• Voted NO on $15B bailout for GM and Chrysler. (Dec 2008)
• Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
• Voted NO on defining "energy emergency" on federal gas prices. (Jun 2008)

Education

Homeschooling Champion

Ron Paul believes no nation can remain free when the state has greater influence over the knowledge and values transmitted to children than the family does.

And the truth is, no big government spending program can or will solve our nation’s education problems.

One-size-fits-all central planning simply does not work.

As a congressman, Ron Paul has been a consistent supporter of homeschooling and educational freedom.

Being a homeschooling parent takes a unique dedication to family and education.

Tax Credits for Homeschooling

In many cases, homeschooling families must forgo the second income of one parent, as well as incur the costs of paying for textbooks, computers, and other school supplies.

And with combined taxes taking almost 50 percent of the average family’s income, there is little left over for low- and middle-class parents to even consider other educational opportunities.

That’s why, during his time in Congress, Ron Paul has introduced legislation to:

• Help parents better educate their children by providing parents with a $5,000 per child tax credit for tutors, books, computers, and other K-12 related educational needs.
• Ensure that the federal government treats high school diplomas earned through homeschooling the same as other high school diplomas.

Put Parents Back in Charge

Congressman Paul wants parents to have the freedom to choose the best educational options for their children, and his commitment to ensuring homeschooling remains a practical alternative for American families is unmatched by any other Presidential candidate.

As President, he will veto any legislation that encroaches on homeschooling parents’ rights.

Returning control of education to parents and teachers on the local level is the centerpiece of Ron Paul’s education agenda.

Voting Record

• Voted YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program. (Mar 2011)
• Voted NO on $40B for green public schools. (May 2009)
• School prayer is not a federal issue. (Apr 2008)
• Private funds for arts work better than government funds. (Apr 2008)
• Close Dept. of Education, but don’t dismantle public schools. (Dec 2007)
• Encourage homeschooling & private school via tax writeoff. (Dec 2007)
• Don’t impeach judges for decisions on legislature prayers. (Sep 2007)
• Present scientific facts that support creationism. (Sep 2007)
• Equal funds for abstinence as contraceptive-based education. (Sep 2007)
• Tax-credited programs for Christian schooling. (Sep 2007)
• Guarantee parity for home school diplomas. (Sep 2007)

Energy

Free Market Solutions

The free market – not government – is the solution to America’s energy needs.

Unfortunately, decades of misguided federal action have helped lead to skyrocketing fuel prices, making it even more difficult for hardworking families to make ends meet.

Washington’s bureaucratic regulations, corporate subsidies, and excessive taxation have distorted the market and resulted in government bureaucrats picking winners and losers.

In fact, much of the “pain at the pump” Americans are now feeling is due to federal policies designed by environmental alarmists to punish traditional energy production – like oil, coal, and natural gas – in hopes of making energy sources they favor more “economical.”

Sadly, even with $4.00 a gallon gasoline, many are attempting to make our energy crisis even worse by working to impose job-destroying carbon taxes, or a “Cap and Tax” system.

As long as we allow federal regulations and bureaucratic red tape to get in the way of energy exploration, our country will never solve its energy crisis, and Americans will continue to pay the price in high costs.

A Pro-Energy President

As President, Ron Paul will lead the fight to:

• Remove restrictions on drilling, so companies can tap into the vast amount of oil we have here at home.
• Repeal the federal tax on gasoline. Eliminating the federal gas tax would result in an 18 cents savings per gallon for American consumers.
• Lift government roadblocks to the use of coal and nuclear power.
• Eliminate the ineffective EPA. Polluters should answer directly to property owners in court for the damages they create – not to Washington.
• Make tax credits available for the purchase and production of alternative fuel technologies.

It’s time for a President that recognizes the free market’s power and innovative spirit by unleashing its full potential to produce affordable, environmentally sound, and reliable energy.

Voting Record

• Voted YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. (Apr 2011)
• No EPA regulation of greenhouse gases. (Jan 2011)
• Signed the No Climate Tax Pledge by AFP. (Nov 2010)
• Liberty Candidate: tax incentives for US-based alternatives. (Sep 2010)
• Bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution. (Jun 2009)
• Voted NO on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets. (Sep 2008)
• Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (May 2008)
• Voted NO on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008)
• Big Oil profits ok; Big Oil subsidies are not. (Jun 2007)
• Voted NO on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC. (May 2007)
• Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jan 2007)

Environment

Voting Record

• Repeal requirements for compact fluorescent bulbs. (Jan 2011)
• Voted NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program. (Jul 2009)
• Voted NO on protecting free-roaming horses and burros. (Jul 2009)
• Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements. (Mar 2009)
• Voted NO on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences. (Sep 2008)
• Voted NO on $9.7B for Amtrak improvements and operation thru 2013. (Jun 2008)
• Give tax breaks for start-up farms for 10-year commitment. (Jan 2008)
• Neglected property rights during the industrial revolution. (Jan 2008)
• Property rights are the foundation of all rights. (Sep 2007)
• Scored 14% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)

Foreign Policy

Voting Record

• Member of House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Mar 2011)
• We invested $70B in Mubarak; stop spending on puppets. (Feb 2011)
• Exceptionalism shouldn't mean using force around the world. (Feb 2011)
• Liberty Candidate: US abroad unconstitutional & unaffordable. (Sep 2010)
• Liberty Candidate: US abroad unconstitutional & unaffordable. (Sep 2010)
• Voted NO on supporting democratic institutions in Pakistan. (Jun 2009)
• Voted NO on cooperating with India as a nuclear power. (Sep 2008)
• Allow travel between the United States and Cuba. (Feb 2009)
• We spend $1 trillion a year overseas; it’s needed at home. (Sep 2008)
• Can’t spread our goodness through the barrel of a gun. (Feb 2008)
• We tax people to blow up bridges overseas then rebuild them. (Jan 2008)

Healthcare

"Do No Harm"

Dr. Ron Paul spent his entire career in the medical profession working to uphold this simple principle by ensuring his patients received the best care he could give them, even if they could not afford it.

Dr. Paul understands the key to effective and efficient medical care is the doctor-patient relationship.  Yet, federal bureaucrats continue to believe that their one-size-fits-all policies will lower costs, increase access, and cure an ailing industry.

Instead, excessive regulation, immoral mandates, and short-sighted incentives have created a system where no one is happy, doctors pass quickly from one patient to the next, insurance is expensive to get and difficult to maintain, and politicians place corporate interests ahead of their constituents.

Freedom not Force

The answer to our nation’s health care crisis lies in freedom – not force.

As President, Ron Paul will fight to put you back in control of your health care decisions, save you money on medical expenses, and institute reforms that will once again make America’s health care system the standard for other nations to follow.

He will work with Congress to:

• Repeal ObamaCare and end its unconstitutional mandate that all Americans must carry only government-approved health insurance or answer to the IRS.
• Allow purchase of health insurance across state lines.
• Provide tax credits and deductions for all medical expenses.
• Exempt those with terminal illnesses from the employee portion of payroll taxes while they are suffering from such illnesses or are incurring significant medical costs associated with their conditions.
• Give a payroll deduction to any worker who is the primary caregiver for a spouse, parent, or child with a terminal illness.
• Ensure that those harmed during medical treatment receive fair compensation while reducing the burden of costly malpractice litigation on the health care system by providing a tax credit for “negative outcomes” insurance purchased before medical treatment.
• Guarantee that what is taken from taxpayers to pay for Medicare and Medicaid is not raided for other purposes.
• Make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and remove government-imposed barriers to obtaining HSAs.
• Stop the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from interfering with Americans’ knowledge of and access to dietary supplements and alternative treatments.
• Prevent federal bureaucrats from tracking every citizen’s medical history from cradle to grave by prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for a national database of personal health information.

Ron Paul proudly worked every day to honor the trust his patients placed in him, and he will do the same as President with the confidence of the American people, who deserve a government that “does no harm” to their health care.

Voting Record

• Let people opt out of Medicare. (Jun 2011)
• Legalizing prostitution is about protecting liberty. (May 2011)
• Voted NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts. (Apr 2011)
• Voted YES on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund. (Apr 2011)
• Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law. (Jan 2011)
• Voted NO on regulating tobacco as a drug. (Apr 2009)
• Expedited licensing for biosimilar products. (Mar 2009)
• Voted NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare. (Jul 2008)
• Remove restrictions on estriol (menopause medication). (Jun 2008)
• Replace Medicaid with volunteer pro-bono medical care. (Apr 2008)
• Private medical savings accounts, not government meddling. (Apr 2008)
• Voted NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health. (Mar 2008)
• Voted NO on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids. (Jan 2008)

Immigration

A Matter of National Security

A nation without borders is no nation at all.

It just doesn’t make sense to fight terrorists abroad while leaving our front door unlocked.

Unfortunately, for far too long, neither major political party has had the courage to do what is necessary to tackle the problem.

Instead, we’re presented with so-called “solutions” that involve amnesty proposals or further restricting Americans’ civil liberties through programs like REAL ID.

Ron Paul opposes both of these schemes and believes they will only make illegal immigration and the problems associated with it worse.  He has been proud to see states exercising their Tenth Amendment rights and protecting their citizens by refusing to comply with the unconstitutional REAL ID law.

While the federal government neglects its constitutional responsibility to protect our borders, it continues to push mandates on the states to provide free education and medical care to illegal immigrants at a time when the states are drowning in debt.   This must not be tolerated any longer.

Like most Americans, Ron Paul also understands just how valuable legal immigration is to our country.

Immigrants who want to work hard, obey our laws, and live the American Dream have always been great assets.

Common Sense Reforms

If elected President, Ron Paul will work to implement the following common sense reforms:

• Enforce Border Security – America should be guarding her own borders and enforcing her own laws instead of policing the world and implementing UN mandates.
• No Amnesty- The Obama Administration’s endorsement of so-called “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, will only encourage more law-breaking.
• Abolish the Welfare State – Taxpayers cannot continue to pay the high costs to sustain this powerful incentive for illegal immigration.  As Milton Friedman famously said, you can’t have open borders and a welfare state.
• End Birthright Citizenship – As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be granted U.S. citizenship, we’ll never be able to control our immigration problem.
• Protect Lawful Immigrants – As President, Ron Paul will encourage legal immigration by streamlining the entry process without rewarding lawbreakers.

As long as our borders remain wide open, the security and safety of the American people are at stake.

As President, Ron Paul will address immigration by fighting for effective solutions that protect our nation, uphold the rule of law, and respect every American citizen’s civil liberties.

Voting Record

• Let churches provide services for immigrants, not state. (Jun 2011) 
• Rated C by the ALI, indicating an acceptably anti-amnesty stance. (Nov 2010)
• Government services in English only. (Mar 2008)
• If economy were good, there’d be no immigration problem. (Dec 2007) 
• Amend Constitution to remove aliens’ birthright citizenship. (Dec 2007) 
• Those who attack bilingualism are jealous & feel inferior. (Dec 2007) 
• No amnesty, but impractical to round up 12 million illegals. (Sep 2007) 
• Immigration problem is consequence of welfare state. (Sep 2007) 
• No amnesty, but border fence isn’t so important. (Jun 2007) 
• We subsidize illegal immigration, so we get more. (Jun 2007) 
• Keep rule barring immigrants from running for president. (May 2007) 
• Declare English as the official language of the US. (Feb 2007)

Jobs & Corporations

Forced Unionism Violates the Constitution

Freedom of association is one of the foundations of a free society.  The Founders clearly understood this, which is why they sought to protect this God-given right in the First Amendment.

While Ron Paul supports the right of every American to join a private sector union if they wish, he believes, like most Americans, that forcing workers to pay union dues just to get or keep a job is wrong.

Unfortunately, over 75 years ago, the right to decide freely whether or not to join a labor union was taken away from American workers by Congress.

Big Labour's Forced-dues Empire

As a result, national union bosses rake in $8 billion every year from workers who are forced to pay dues to a labor union just to provide for themselves and their families.

Then, to add insult to injury, Big Labor uses this forced-dues money to bankroll the campaigns of tax-and-spend, big government politicians all across the country like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama!

A Pro-right to Work Record

That’s why Ron Paul has been a strong supporter of the National Right to Work Act in Congress.

Passage of a National Right to Work law would end forced union dues by repealing compulsory-dues provisions in federal labor law.

In addition to his support for a National Right to Work law, he also voted to defeat Big Labor’s “Card Check” scheme.

This bill would have eliminated secret ballot elections for union organizers – allowing union bosses to intimidate workers into signing themselves over to union boss control.

And he voted against the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Bill.

This legislation was designed to put all American police and firefighters under the union bosses’ control – just the first step toward forcing all state and local public employees under Big Labor’s thumb.

Ron Paul’s exceptional record on Right to Work issues earned him the prestigious Everett Dirksen Award from the National Right to Work Committee.

As President, he will continue to lead the fight to free Americans from the shackles of compulsory unionism by working to pass a National Right to Work law.

Voting Record

• Printing & inflating money ships jobs overseas. (Jun 2011)
• Right to organize; but no special benefits for unions. (Oct 2007)
• Minimum wage takes away opportunities, especially for blacks. (Sep 2007)
• No “sexual orientation” in Employment Non-Discrimination Act. (Sep 2007)
• Voted NO on extending unemployment benefits from 39 weeks to 59 weeks. (Oct 2008)
• Voted NO on overriding presidential veto of Farm Bill. (Jun 2008)
• Voted NO on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Mar 2007)
• Voted NO on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Jan 2007)
• Voted NO on $167B over 10 years for farm price supports. (Oct 2001)
• Voted YES on zero-funding OSHA's Ergonomics Rules instead of $4.5B. (Mar 2001)
• Member of the Congressional Rural Caucus. (Jan 2001)
• Rated 47% by the AFL-CIO, indicating a mixed record on union issues. (Dec 2003)
• Allow an Air Traffic Controller's Union. (Jan 2006)

National Security, Homeland Security, & Defense

Proven Leadership

“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

A Pro-American Foreign Policy

As an Air Force veteran, Ron Paul believes national defense is the single most important responsibility the Constitution entrusts to the federal government.

In Congress, Ron Paul voted to authorize military force to hunt down Osama bin Laden and authored legislation to specifically target terrorist leaders and bring them to justice.

Today, however, hundreds of thousands of our fighting men and women have been stretched thin all across the globe in over 135 countries – often without a clear mission, any sense of what defines victory, or the knowledge of when they’ll be permanently reunited with their families.

Acting as the world’s policeman and nation-building weakens our country, puts our troops in harm’s way, and sends precious resources to other nations in the midst of an historic economic crisis.

Taxpayers are forced to spend billions of dollars each year to protect the borders of other countries, while Washington refuses to deal with our own border security needs.

Congress has been rendered virtually irrelevant in foreign policy decisions and regularly cedes authority to an executive branch that refuses to be held accountable for its actions.

Far from defeating the enemy, our current policies provide incentive for more to take up arms against us.

That’s why, as Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Paul will lead the fight to:

• Make securing our borders the top national security priority.
• Avoid long and expensive land wars that bankrupt our country by using constitutional means to capture or kill terrorist leaders who helped attack the U.S. and continue to plot further attacks.
• Guarantee our intelligence community’s efforts are directed toward legitimate threats and not spying on innocent Americans through unconstitutional power grabs like the Patriot Act.
• End the nation-building that is draining troop morale, increasing our debt, and sacrificing lives with no end in sight.
• Follow the Constitution by asking Congress to declare war before one is waged.
• Only send our military into conflict with a clear mission and all the tools they need to complete the job – and then bring them home.
• Ensure our veterans receive the care, benefits, and honors they have earned when they return.
• Revitalize the military for the 21^st century by eliminating waste in a trillion-dollar military budget.
• Prevent the TSA from forcing Americans to either be groped or ogled just to travel on an airplane and ultimately abolish the unconstitutional agency.
• Stop taking money from the middle class and the poor to give to rich dictators through foreign aid.

As President, Ron Paul’s national defense policy will ensure that the greatest nation in human history is strong, secure, and respected.

Voting Record

• Voted for going after Al Qaeda, not invading Iraq. (Feb 2008)
• Voted against war because Iraq was not a national threat. (May 2007)
• Voted YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval. (Jun 2011)
• Voted YES on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan. (Mar 2011)
• Voted YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq. (Jun 2008)
• Voted YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days. (May 2007)
• Voted NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date. (Jun 2006)
• Voted NO on approving removal of Saddam & valiant service of US troops. (Mar 2004)
• Voted NO on authorizing military force in Iraq. (Oct 2002)
• Voted YES on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. (May 1999)

Taxes

• Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes. (Aug 2010)
• Repeal the Death Tax. (Jan 2009)
• Voted NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income. (Jun 2008)
• AdWatch: Taxpayer’s best friend: never supported an increase. (Feb 2008)
• Spending money doesn’t stimulate economy; reduced taxes do. (Jan 2008)
• Doesn’t want flat tax or consumption tax. (Dec 2007)
• Get rid of IRS; get rid of income tax; get rid of spending. (Dec 2007)
• The most sinister of all taxes is the inflation tax. (Dec 2007)
• I have never voted for a tax increase; and never will. (Nov 2007)
• GovWatch: Zero income tax reverts to 1990 budget, not 2000. (Nov 2007)
• Immediately work to phase out the IRS. (May 2007)
• Get rid of the inflation tax with sound money. (May 2007)
• Campaign slogan in 2004: The Taxpayers’ Best Friend. (Jan 2007)