Thread: A different perspective

Another member here posted what they considered to be questionable votes by Dr. Ron Paul. I would like to take this opportunity to respond to that post.

GREGAGREATAMERICAN wrote:

Some of Ron Pauls past votes....

1) Voted NO on establishing nationwide AMBER alert system for missing kids.

"It also would enlarge law enforcement's wiretap and electronic surveillance abilities" Expansion of police state

2) Voted NO on deterring foreign arms transfers to China.

"A YES vote would grant the President the ability to place sanctions on any individual or country..." Expansion of Executive power

3)Voted NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.

Separation of Church and State

4) Voted NO on requiring states to test students.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001:

Federal government infringement of State's rights, he also wants to abolish the Dept. of Education

5) Voted NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime.

Sounds good, but having been involved with the juvevile justice system I'm sure there was a reason NOT to expand their power.

6) Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration.

Infringement of the 1st Amendment

7) Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime.

Not a Federal government issue

8.) Voted NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion.

This would make the parent a criminal. I also know that he opposes abortion and supports the Right to Life Amendment

9) Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels.

Incentives should be MARKET- provided, not GOVERNMENT provided.

10) Voted NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR.

I agree. To hell with the damned caribou.


On Immigration

Ron Paul Votes against
Amends: H.R.4205
Sponsor: Rep Traficant, James A., Jr. [OH-17] (offered 5/17/2000)
AMENDMENT DESCRIPTION:
Amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the Armed Forces, under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, to assist the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Customs Service in preventing the entry of terrorists and and drug traffickers into the United States.

Ron Paul voted against
H.AMDT.316 (A005)
Amends: H.R.2586
Sponsor: Rep Traficant, James A., Jr. [OH-17] (offered 9/25/2001)
AMENDMENT DESCRIPTION:
Amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense, to assign members of the Armed Forces, under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, to assist the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Customs Service on preventing the entry of terrorists and drug traffickers into the United States.

These two are the same bill, different years. Posse Comitatus, military as police

Ron Paul voted against
H.R.418
Title: To establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, and to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence.

See bolded, think Real ID

Rep. Paul voted against
H.R. 4437 to increase border controls Rep. Paul voted against the Hunter Amendment to H.R. 4437. The Hunter Amendment would shore up security by building fences and other physical infrastructure to keep out illegal aliens. The Hunter Amendment passed by a vote of 260-159.

Paul voted for 4437, not against it. He did vote against the Hunter Amendment, which was a bad vote, IMO.

2001: Voted in favor of a four-month extension of the Section 245(i) amnesty Rep. Paul voted to reward illegal immigrants with amnesty by voting in favor of a four-month extension of Section 245(i).

He did it again in 2002
Ron Paul Voted to reward illegal immigrants with the
the Section 245(i) amnesty Rep. Paul voted for H RES 365, a four-month extension of Section 245(i), an amnesty for illegal aliens that rewards illegal immigrants with residency by allowing certain illegal aliens to pay a $1,000 fine, to apply for a green card in this country, and to stay without fear of deportation. H RES 365 passed by a vote of 275 to 137.

Another bad vote

Ron Paul Voted against
1997: Voted against the Rohrabacher Motion to H.R. 2267 to kill the Section 245(i) amnesty Rep. Paul voted against the Rohrabacher Motion to H.R. 2267 to kill the Section 245(i) amnesty that allowed certain illegal aliens to pay a fee and avoid a 1996 law\'s provision that punishes illegal aliens by barring them for 10 years from entering the U.S. on a legal visa as a student, tourist, worker or immigrant. The Rohrabacher Motion failed by a vote of 153-268.

Part of the same bill listed above

Ron Paul Voted for
1998: H.R.3736, voted to almost double H-1B foreign high-tech workers. Rep. Paul helped the House pass H.R.3736. Enacted into law, it increased by nearly 150,000 the number of foreign workers high-tech American companies could hire over the next three years. 1998: H.R. 3736

10 years ago he got it wrong, but in his defense the tech bubble hadn't burst yet.

Ron Paul Voted AGAINST
1998: Voted AGAINST an amendment to H.R.3736 that would have reduced worker importation. Rep. Paul voted against an amendment to H.R.3736, the Watt Substitute, that would have forbidden U.S. firms from using temporary foreign workers to replace Americans, and would have required U.S. firms to check a box on a form attesting that they had first sought an American worker for the job. The amendment failed 177-242. 1998: H.R. 3736

Part of the same H1b Bill above

So you see, MOST of these things that you think are so wrong with Dr. Paul are actually very RIGHT. I disagree with some of his immigration-related votes, but to be fair most of those were 10 years ago.

I admit I'll need to research what he's said lately on the H-1B issue. Things were definitely very different back then, and now it seems like us nerds will never again party like it's 1999.

At this point I am starting to think that I am willing to compromise on any and all other issues except illegal immigration, the 1st and 2nd amendment.