Speeches And Statements PDF Print E-mail
November 2010
  • November 17,2010Introducing the American Traveler Dignity Act

    Mr. Speaker, today I introduce legislation to protect Americans from physical and emotional abuse by federal Transportation Security Administration employees conducting screenings at the nation’s airports. We have seen the videos of terrified children being grabbed and probed by airport screeners. We have read the stories of Americans being subjected to humiliating body imaging machines and/or forced to have the most intimate parts of their bodies poked and fondled. We do not know the potentially harmful effects of the radiation emitted by the new millimeter wave machines.In one recent well-publicized case, a TSA official is recorded during an attempted body search saying, “By buying your ticket you gave up a lot of rights.” I strongly disagree and am sure I am not alone in believing that we Americans should never give up our rights in order to travel. As our Declaration of Independence states, our rights are unalienable. This TSA version of our rights looks more like the “rights” granted in the old Soviet Constitutions, where freedoms were granted to Soviet citizens -- right up to the moment the state decided to remove those freedoms.The incident of the so-called “underwear bomber” last Christmas is given as justification for the billions of dollars the federal government is spending on the new full-body imaging machines, but a Government Accountability Office study earlier this year concluded that had these scanners been in use they may not have detected the explosive material that was allegedly brought onto the airplane. Additionally, there have been recent press reports calling into question the accuracy and adequacy of these potentially dangerous machines.My legislation is simple. It establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person. It means they are subject to the same laws as the rest of us. Imagine if the political elites in our country were forced to endure the same conditions at the airport as business travelers, families, senior citizens, and the rest of us. Perhaps this problem could be quickly resolved if every cabinet secretary, every member of Congress, and every department head in the Obama administration were forced to submit to the same degrading screening process as the people who pay their salaries.I warned at the time of the creation of the TSA that an unaccountable government entity in control of airport security would provide neither security nor defend our basic freedom to travel. Yet the vast majority of both Republicans and Democrats then in Congress willingly voted to create another unaccountable, bullying agency-- in a simple-minded and unprincipled attempt to appease public passion in the wake of 9-11.  Sadly, as we see with the steady TSA encroachment on our freedom and dignity, my fears in 2001 were justified.The solution to the need for security at US airports is not a government bureaucracy. The solution is to allow the private sector, preferably the airlines themselves, to provide for the security of their property. As a recent article in Forbes magazine eloquently stated, “The airlines have enormous sums of money riding on passenger safety, and the notion that a government bureaucracy has better incentives to provide safe travels than airlines with billions of dollars worth of capital and goodwill on the line strains credibility.” In the meantime, I hope we can pass this legislation and protect Americans from harm and humiliation when they choose to travel.

July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 September 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008
  • June 20,2008Statement on FISA

    Statement on HR 6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments 20 June 2008 Rep. Ron Paul, M.D. Madam Speaker, I regret

May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 September 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005
  • December 7,2005The Blame Game

    HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 7, 2005  The Blame Game Our country faces major problems.  No l

November 2005 October 2005
  • October 26,2005We Have Been Warned

    HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 26, 2005  We Have Been Warned We have been warned.  Prepare for

  • October 7,2005Staying or Leaving

    HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 7, 2005  Staying or Leaving Supporters of the war in Iraq, as we

September 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004
  • April 22,2004The Lessons of 9/11

    HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 22, 2004 The Lessons of 9/11 We are constantly admonished to remember the lesso

March 2004 February 2004 December 2003
  • December 8,2003Whose Peace?

    HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 8, 2003 Whose Peace? Much has been written lately about several attempts t

November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000
  • December 4,2000Economic Update

    December 4, 2000 ECONOMIC UPDATE ------------ Statement of HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS [Page: H 11939] Mr. Speaker, more and more peop

November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000