The House of Representatives Must Be Elected!

I rise in opposition to H.J.Res. 83, which amends the United States Constitution to allow appointed persons to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives in the event of an emergency. Since the Continuity of Government (COG) Commission first proposed altering our system of government by allowing appointed members to serve in this body, I, … Continue reading “The House of Representatives Must Be Elected!”

Freedom vs. Security: A False Choice

In recent days administration officials have warned the nation about possible terrorist attacks, subjecting us once again to color-coded threat charts and puzzling admonitions to go about our lives as usual. The message is clear: grave danger surrounds us, but ordinary citizens should do nothing and trust the government to take care of it. But … Continue reading “Freedom vs. Security: A False Choice”

New Millennium, Same Old Foreign Aid

Though the ill-conceived Millennium Challenge Act has already become law and therefore we are only talking about its implementation, it is nevertheless important to again address some very fundamental problems with this new foreign aid program. I believe that the Millennium Challenge Act (MCA) may be one of the worst foreign policy blunders yet – … Continue reading “New Millennium, Same Old Foreign Aid”

Don’t Start a War With Iran

Statement on H. Con. Res. 398: Expressing the concern of Congress over Iran’s development of the means to produce nuclear weapons, 6 May 2004. I rise in strong opposition to this ill-conceived and ill-timed legislation. Let’s not fool ourselves: this concurrent resolution leads us down the road to war against Iran. It creates a precedent … Continue reading “Don’t Start a War With Iran”

Against the Phony Resolution on Iraq Abuse

I oppose the House resolution that claims to condemn prisoner abuse in Iraq. Like so many resolutions we have seen here on the Iraq war, this one is not at all what it purports to be. Were this really a resolution condemning abuse of prisoners and other detainees, I doubt anyone here would oppose it. … Continue reading “Against the Phony Resolution on Iraq Abuse”

Passing the Buck in Iraq

The allegations of prisoner torture by our troops in Iraq are disturbing, and clearly drastic action must be taken to ensure such conduct stops immediately. But why are we condemning a small group of low-level reservists when we do not yet know the full story? As revolting as the pictures are, we cannot know with … Continue reading “Passing the Buck in Iraq”

The Real Lessons of 9/11

We are constantly admonished to remember the lessons of 9/11. Of course the real issue is not remembering, but rather knowing what the pertinent lesson of that sad day is. The 9/11 Commission soon will release its report after months of fanfare by those whose reputations are at stake. The many hours and dollars spent … Continue reading “The Real Lessons of 9/11”

Don’t Expand NATO!

Further expansion of NATO, an outdated alliance, is not in our national interest and may well constitute a threat to our national security in the future. More than 50 years ago the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed to defend Western Europe and the United States against attack from the communist nations of Eastern Europe. … Continue reading “Don’t Expand NATO!”

Iraq One Year Later

The Iraq war began about one year ago with the swift and decisive overthrow of Baghdad and the Hussein regime. We are only beginning to understand, however, the true scope of our ongoing occupation of a nation rife with civil, ethnic, and tribal conflict. July stands as the deadline for our provisional government to relinquish … Continue reading “Iraq One Year Later”

Praise the Troops, Not the War

During the five-hour debate on this resolution, Congressman Paul was not given an opportunity to speak, even though he is a fairly senior member of the House International Affairs Committee. Much more junior member of the committee, Kathryn Harris of Florida, was given two opportunities to speak on the issue. Clearly, the GOP leadership did … Continue reading “Praise the Troops, Not the War”