Ron Paul .com

The Federal Reserve is Responsible for the Crisis

tmartin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:30:57 +0000

The secretive Federal Reserve is responsible for the economic crisis and giving it more power makes no sense whatsoever, Ron Paul said in today’s Bloomberg interview on financial regulatory reform.

Channel: Bloomberg
Date: 03/11/2010

Transcript coming soon

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Action Alert: Audit the Fed!

tmartin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:48:57 +0000

The Federal Reserve is the chief culprit behind the economic crisis. Its unlimited power to create money out of thin air brought us the boom and bust cycle and causes one financial bubble after another. By recklessly inflating the money supply the Fed intentionally distorts interest rates and erodes the value of the dollar.

For the past 30 years, Ron Paul has worked tirelessly to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the secretive bank. And in 2009 his unfaltering dedication showed astonishing results: HR 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve, swept the country and made the central bankers shudder at their desks. The bill passed as an amendment both in the House Financial Services Committee and in the House itself.

But the usurpers of America’s future won’t take it lying down. They don’t want their secrets exposed and at this very moment, they are working frantically behind the scenes to quietly derail all efforts to open up the Federal Reserve to independent scrutiny.

A handful of Fed-loving U.S. senators are currently rewriting the Financial Reform Bill to strip out Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed amendment and actually expand the Fed’s power over banks, lending and money.

Action Alert: Call your senators today and demand that they…

Stand with the nearly 80% of Americans who support a FULL audit of the Federal Reserve.
Withdraw their support for ANY effort to strip the bill of the Audit,
Oppose all efforts to grant the Fed more power under the guise of so-called “reform.”

Enter your zip code to look up your senators and their previous position on S 604, the Audit the Fed bill:

Continue reading for more on Audit the Fed…

02/2009: Ron Paul Introduces Bill to Audit the Federal Reserve

On February 26, 2009, Ron Paul introduces HR 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve:

“I rise to introduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.”

After a groundswell of grassroots support, HR 1207 and its counterpart in the Senate, S 604, attract 317 and 32 co-sponsors respectively.

10/2009: Mel Watt Introduces Competing Placebo Amendment

With HR 1207 gaining momentum, Congressman Mel Watt introduces a competing banker-approved “placebo” amendment that would replace HR 1207 and actually increase the Federal Reserve’s secrecy and power.

11/2009: Mel Watt Amendment Defeated

On November 19, 2009, after several hours of heated debate, Ron Paul’s and Alan Grayson’s “Audit the Fed” amendment passes 43-26 in the House Financial Services Committee. The amendment calls for a comprehensive audit of the Federal Reserve and replaces the opposing “placebo” amendment proposed by Mel Watt.

12/2009: Audit the Fed Passes in the House

The Audit the Fed amendment is attached to Barney Frank’s HR 3996, also known as the “Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2009″. That bill is later combined, along with several other bills, into “The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 – Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2009″ (HR 4173). The House passes the new bill on December 11, 2009 on a vote of 223-202.

Remaining Milestones Still Ahead

According to Ron Paul’s video update, now that the bill has passed the House, the following milestones are still ahead of us:

“It has to go through the Senate; it’s going to have a harder time in the Senate.
Then it has to go to a conference committee and that’s another problem.
And then it has to go to the President.
And even if it goes through all that, we still have the courts to deal with, and courts have never been friendly to those of us who want honest money.”

03/2010: Treasury Officials Still Support Mel Watt Amendment!

On March 8, 2010 Huffington Post reporter Sam Stein participated in a bizarre meeting with high level treasury officials:

The Treasury Department is vigorously opposed to a House-passed measure that would open the Federal Reserve to an audit by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a senior Treasury official said Monday. Instead, the official said, the Treasury prefers a substitute offered by Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), and would like to see it enacted as part of the Senate bill.
The Watt measure, however, while claiming to increase transparency, actually puts new restrictions on the GAO’s ability to perform an audit.

Campaign for Liberty Action Alert

Campaign for Liberty President John Tate sent out the following email action alert:

Dear Supporter,

Our battle to Audit the FED has reached a crisis.

Right now, a handful of Fed-loving U.S. Senators, led by Bob Corker (R-TN), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), are reportedly working to rewrite from the Financial Reform Bill to strip out Audit the Fed and actually EXPAND the Fed’s power over banks, lending and money.

I need you to contact your senators today with an urgent message: Audit the Fed and DON’T increase the Fed’s power.

As you know, Audit the Fed is currently in H.R. 4173, a financial “reform” package that has passed the House.

The Senate will unveil its version soon, which means you and I have to work fast.

In addition to stripping out transparency and accountability, the Senate version is set to grant the Fed broad NEW powers over our economy by putting the Consumer Financial Protection Agency under the Fed’s purview.

Seriously? The same Fed that won’t tell us where our trillions of dollars went is going to be put in charge of “consumer protection?”

It would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous.

You and I must turn up the heat on the Senate TODAY.

Please contact [your senators] at once!

Of course, as you know, over two thirds of the House of Representatives, almost a third of the Senate and nearly 80% of the American people support a FULL Audit of the Federal Reserve.

So the establishment has no choice but to attempt to fight us in secret.

That’s why they’re trying every trick in the book to make sure they kill a full-scale Audit of the Fed.

And that’s why it has never been more important that you call [your senators] and DEMAND that they withdraw their support for ANY effort to strip the bill of the Audit, and oppose all efforts to grant the Fed more power under the guise of so-called “reform.”

It’s clear that passage of this bill would pretty much guarantee that the FED is never audited, allowing the banksters to continue to rob and loot the American people.

And this sounds like something taken directly out of the Ben Bernanke playbook.

You see, Ben Bernanke and his buddies have been claiming the need for Fed “independence” for some time now.

But what they’re really talking about is independence from accountability…

…Independence to keep printing money out of thin air without any oversight from the American people, further destroying our savings and wiping out the middle class.

That’s why it’s vital you take action IMMEDIATELY.

Please call [your senators] and demand that they stand with the nearly 80% of Americans who support a FULL audit of the Federal Reserve.

You and I are now very close to allowing the American people to have the first ever COMPLETE audit of the Federal Reserve, and without your efforts, Ben Bernanke and his cronies would have nothing to worry about.

But I’m afraid if you and I don’t act right away, all of our efforts up until now will be rendered useless.

And that’s something I’m not going to sit idly by and allow to happen.

If we’re going to stop this attempt to gut Audit the Fed, we must act before it’s too late.

So please, right now, call [your senators] and demand that they support a FULL audit of the Fed and OPPOSE all attempts to broaden the Fed’s power.

And if you can, please make your most generous contribution to help Campaign for Liberty alert millions of Americans to this battle.

But most importantly, please contact [your senators] TODAY.

Sincerely,
John Tate
President

P.S. Fed-loving Senators are working behind closed doors to strip Audit the Fed out of the Financial Reform Bill while granting the Fed even more power.

That’s why it’s vital you IMMEDIATELY call [your senators] and demand they stand with the nearly 80% of Americans who support a FULL audit of the Federal Reserve.

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Ron Paul: End the War in Afghanistan NOW!

tmartin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:53:32 +0000

Ron Paul spoke on the House floor today in support of Dennis Kucinich’s H. Con Res 248 which would end the war in Afghanistan and bring U.S. Armed Forces home within 30 days.

Location: Congress
Date: 03/10/2010

Original cosponsors of Dennis Kucinich’s bill include Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI); Ron Paul (R-TX); José Serrano (D-NY); Bob Filner (D-CA); Lynn Woolsey (D-CA); Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC); Danny Davis (D-IL); Barbara Lee (D-CA); Michael Capuano (D-MA); Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ); Tammy Baldwin (D-WI); Timothy Johnson (R-IL); Yvette Clarke (D-NY); Eric Massa (D-NY); Alan Grayson (D-FL); and Chellie Pingree (D-ME).

111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 248
Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 4, 2010
Mr. KUCINICH (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. FILNER, Mr. JONES, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. PAUL, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MASSA, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. MICHAUD) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM AFGHANISTAN.
Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan–
(1) by no later than the end of the period of 30 days beginning on the day on which this concurrent resolution is adopted; or
(2) if the President determines that it is not safe to remove the United States Armed Forces before the end of that period, by no later than December 31, 2010, or such earlier date as the President determines that the Armed Forces can safely be removed.

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Ron Paul: A National ID Card? Outrageous!

tmartin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:22:17 +0000

Congressman Ron Paul explains on Fox News why he is opposed to a national ID card.

Channel: Fox News
Date: 03/10/2010

Transcript coming soon

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Barney Frank’s Letter to Ben Bernanke

tmartin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:18:14 +0000

Download (PDF, 80.45KB)

The Honorable Ben S. Bernanke
Chairman
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Washington, DC 20551

Dear Mr. Chairman:

During your Humphrey-Hawkins testimony before this Committee last week, Representative Ron Paul raised questions about inappropriate political interference with the Federal Reserve System resulting in hidden transfers of resources to facilitate crimes during the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, and to Iraq for weapons purchases during the 1980s. These are serious allegations and must be fully investigated. I expect that you will do so promptly, and share the results of your investigation with Congress.

Given the continued concern about political interference with the Federal Reserve System and allegations about a lack of transparency, these charges cannot be left unaddressed.

Representative Paul cited reports and stonewalled investigations regarding these charges, and, with this letter, I am asking him to share with you whatever information he has that may facilitate your investigation.

The Federal Reserve’s ability to manage monetary policy in an effective manner depends, in large part, on its reputation for independence and integrity. A complete investigation of these charges is necessary to maintain both.

BARNEY FRANK
Chairman

cc: Representative Ron Paul

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Ron Paul on the Census 2010

tmartin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:32:31 +0000

Census: A Little Too Personal

by Ron Paul

Last week Congress voted to encourage participation in the 2010 census. I voted “No” on this resolution for the simple, obvious reason that the census – like so many government programs – has grown far beyond what the framers of our Constitution intended. The invasive nature of the current census raises serious questions about how and why government will use the collected information. It also demonstrates how the federal bureaucracy consistently encourages citizens to think of themselves in terms of groups, rather than as individual Americans. The not so subtle implication is that each group, whether ethnic, religious, social, or geographic, should speak up and demand its “fair share” of federal largesse.

Article I, section 2 of the Constitution calls for an enumeration of citizens every ten years, for the purpose of apportioning congressional seats among the various states. In other words, the census should be nothing more than a headcount. It was never intended to serve as a vehicle for gathering personal information on citizens.

But our voracious federal government thrives on collecting information. In fact, to prepare for the 2010 census state employees recorded GPS coordinates for every front door in the United States so they could locate individuals with greater accuracy! Once duly located, individuals are asked detailed questions concerning their name, address, race, home ownership, and whether they periodically spend time in prison or a nursing home – just to name a few examples.

From a constitutional perspective, of course, the answer to each of these questions is: “None of your business.” But the bigger question is – why government is so intent on compiling this information in the first place?

The Census Bureau claims that collected information is not shared with any federal agency; but rather is kept under lock and key for 72 years. It also claims that no information provided to census takers can be used against you by the government.

However, these promises can and have been abused in the past. Census data has been used to locate men who had not registered for the draft. Census data also was used to find Japanese-Americans for internment camps during World War II. Furthermore, the IRS has applied census information to detect alleged tax evaders. Some local governments even have used census data to check for compliance with zoning regulations.

It is not hard to imagine that information compiled by the census could be used against people in the future, despite claims to the contrary and the best intentions of those currently in charge of the Census Bureau. The government can and does change its mind about these things, and people have a right to be skeptical about government promises.

Yet there are consequences for not submitting to the census and its intrusive questions. If the form is not mailed back in time, households will experience the “pleasure” of a visit by a government worker asking the questions in person. If the government still does not get the information it wants, it can issue a fine of up to $5000.

If the federal government really wants to increase compliance with the census, it should abide by the Constitution and limit its inquiry to one simple question: How many people live here?

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Ron Paul to Congress: Don’t “Stir the Pot” with Armenian Genocide Resolution

tmartin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:00:30 +0000

Ron Paul spoke out in opposition to a resolution in the House Foreign Affairs Committee that would recognize as “genocide” the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces during World War I.

The Congressman argued that America should remain neutral on the subject and let the involved countries work it out themselves. He then encouraged other opponents of the resolution to apply their non-interventionist position not just to the past, but also to the present and the future.

The resolution was later approved 23-22.

Location: House Foreign Affairs Committee
Date: 03/04/2010

Transcript coming soon

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Ron Paul: If the Fed didn’t exist there would be no deficits

tmartin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:32:36 +0000

Ron Paul spoke with Bob Schieffer of CBS News about his primary victory and his allegations against the Federal Reserve.

Channel: CBS News
Date: 03/03/2010

Transcript coming soon

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Landslide Victory for Ron Paul in Texas Primary

tmartin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:23:23 +0000

Congressman Ron Paul won today’s Republican primary election in Texas’s 14th district in a landslide.

With all 271 precincts reporting, 80.76% of voters expressed their desire for Ron Paul to remain in office.

END RESULTS
John Gay – 3,003 votes – 5.27%
Tim Graney – 5,536 votes – 9.73%
Ron Paul – 45,947 votes – 80.76%
Gerald D. Wall – 2,402 votes – 4.22%

Congratulations, Dr. Ron Paul!

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20,000+ Say “Yes” to Ron Paul 2012

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:17:49 +0000

We asked the question that’s on everyone’s mind: “Should Ron Paul should run for President in 2012?”

Our readers submitted 21,796 votes and 490 comments while the poll was open from Feb. 18 – March 1. The results are displayed below.

Should Ron Paul run for President in 2012?

Yes. (92%, 20,060 Votes)
No. (4%, 912 Votes)
I don’t know. (2%, 346 Votes)
It depends. (2%, 475 Votes)

Total Voters: 21,796

The percentage results are virtually unchanged from our three 2009 polls (February 2009, June 2009, November 2009):

92% (down from 94%) of our readers want Ron Paul to run for President in 2012.
4% (up from 3%) want him to stay out of the race.
And 4% (up from 3%) are undecided or said “it depends”.

Participation surged dramatically. In February 2009, our first Ron Paul 2012 poll attracted 6,337 votes. 6,617 voters participated in our June 2009 poll, and the November 2009 poll drew 9,312 votes. With 21,796 votes, the most recent poll received almost as many votes as the first three polls combined.

In light of these exciting numbers it is important to emphasize that Ron Paul recently said that he hasn’t come to a decision yet. We hope he considers the results of this poll when he makes his choice for 2012!

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