Dear Patriot,

As we start a new year, I wanted to be sure
you saw my recent column about the recent spending bill that
totaled 5,593 pages and was given to members of Congress just
hours before they had to vote on it.

Given the fact that there wasn't much
opposition from either party, it's clear spending is still a
problem for both parties. And it's clear we need to continue to
watch Congress and let them know when they get out of line.

You and I can stop more of the "same old" bad
habits in this new year if we can continue to put the heat on our
elected officials and make sure they know we are watching.

In liberty,

Ron

______________________________________
The Real Scandal of the Spending Bill
Last week Congress passed a massive
coronavirus relief and omnibus spending bill. President Trump
threatened to veto the bill, saying he wants an increase in the
amount for "stimulus" checks authorized by the bill from 600
dollars to 2,000 dollars. The checks are designed to help those
harmed by the lockdowns. President Trump also demanded a cut in
some of the wasteful spending contained in the bill, such as the
ten million dollars for gender programs in Pakistan.

At the 11th hour, however, President Trump
signed the bill. President Trump's veto threat came after many
people complained that a 600 dollars one-time payment was
insufficient and that the payment could be higher if Congress cut
spending on militarism, foreign aid, and corporate handouts. The
text of the 5,593-page bill was made available hours before the
votes in the House and Senate.

Representatives and senators were told the
bill had to pass immediately or else government would shut down
around Christmas. This does not excuse voting for the bill.
Congress should have refused to vote for this bill until members
had time to read it. Those who voted "yes" should not get away
with claiming the bill needed to be passed before members could
read it.

While it is understandable that many are
outraged over the way this bill was rushed through, the real
outrage is that the rushed passage of omnibus bills has become a
yearly Christmas tradition on Capitol Hill. These spending bills
are always full of outrageous special interest giveaways. This
practice denies the average member of Congress a meaningful role
in carrying out one of Congress' two most significant
constitutional duties - funding the government. Congress long ago
abandoned its other main constitutional responsibility -
declaring war.

Whether 600 dollars or 2,000 dollars, a
one-time stimulus payment is hardly adequate compensation for the
suffering the government lockdowns have inflicted on the American
people. Stimulus checks will not reopen closed small businesses
or stop increases in domestic violence and substance abuse. A
government check will not restore educational and development
opportunities denied to children stuck at home struggling with
"virtual education." A one-time check will not compensate workers
for the health problems developed due to having to wear a mask
for eight hours a day. The only just solution is to end the
lockdowns, and never again allow overblown fears to justify
shutting down the economy.

Funding the government via massive omnibus
bills drafted in secret and rushed into law concentrates power in
the hands of a select few representatives and senators. It also
gives the president excessive influence over the appropriations
process. This is exactly the opposite of what the Framers
intended when they gave Congress power over government spending.


This situation is the inevitable result of a
government that tries to maintain the fiction that republican
institutions are compatible with a welfare-warfare leviathan.
Congress will continue to indulge this delusion until the system
collapses. This collapse will likely be brought on by a collapse
in the dollar's value.

The combination of the high-profile
coronavirus bill with this year's omnibus spending bill has
brought new attention to Congress' practice of funding the
government via massive, unread appropriations bills. Hopefully,
the anger people are expressing, instead of just disappearing
once people receive their checks, will strengthen the movement to
return to free markets and limited constitutional government.

Liberty is a far better option than descent
into economic chaos and totalitarianism.


Ron Paul
Chairman


If you'd prefer to donate via PayPal, please
click here.


________________________________________________

The mission of Campaign for Liberty is to
promote and defend the great American principles of individual
liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets,
and a constitutional foreign policy, by means of education, issue
advocacy, and grassroots mobilization.

Because of Campaign For Liberty's tax-exempt status under IRC
Sec. 501(C)(4) and its state and federal legislative activities,
contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
(IRC § 170) or as business deductions (IRC §
162(e)(1)).

www.CampaignForLiberty.org





This message was intended for: [email protected]
You were added to the system June 27, 2019 [More
information].
View this email as a web page: [link removed]
Update your preferences |
Unsubscribe [link removed]

----Powered by Paramount Communication----
[link removed]