List of legislation sponsored by Ron Paul
Encyclopedia
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
man from Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
, has sponsored many bills in the United States House of Representatives, such as those that would abolish the income tax or the Federal Reserve. Except where indicated, all named bills below were originally authored and sponsored by Paul.
Nonintervention
- Kosovo, 1999–2000: Prohibits the Department of Defense from using troops in KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
unless specifically authorized by law. - Constitutional War Powers Resolution of 2001. , 2001-03-06. Repeals the 1973 War Powers ResolutionWar Powers ResolutionThe War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a federal law intended to check the power of the President in committing the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of Congress. The resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution; this provides that the...
entirely, prohibiting presidents from initiating a war without a formal declaration of war by Congress. - Iraq ResolutionIraq ResolutionThe Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
declaration of warDeclaration of warA declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
. Motion in re , 2002-10-02. In order to prevent Congress from yielding its Constitutional authority to declare war to the executive branch, which does not Constitutionally hold that power, gives Congress the opportunity to declare war on Iraq, rather than merely "authorizing" the president to deploy forces without a declaration of war. Paul said that he would not vote for his own motion, but that if his fellow members of Congress wished to go to war in Iraq, they should follow the Constitution and declare war. - Iran and Syria: , 2007-01-23. Expressing the sense of Congress that the President should implement Recommendation 9 of the Iraq Study Group Report. Urges the President to implement Recommendation 9 of the Iraq Study Group Report, recommending direct diplomatic engagement with IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
toward constructive results. - Sunset of Public Law 107-243 Act of 2007. , 2007-06-07. Establishes a sunset clause for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. As one of six Republicans to vote against the Iraq ResolutionIraq ResolutionThe Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
(which authorized military force for stated purposes without declaring war), Paul also inspired the founding of a group called the National Peace Lobby Project to promote a resolution he and Oregon representative Peter DeFazioPeter DeFazioPeter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. As Oregon's most senior member of Congress, he is the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation...
sponsored to repeal the war authorization in February 2003. His speech, 35 "Questions That Won't Be Asked About Iraq", was translated and published in German, French, Russian, Italian, and Swiss periodicals before the Iraq War began. - Constitutional War Powers Amendments of 2007. , 2007-09-25 (cosponsor). Replaces the 1973 War Powers Resolution with law ensuring the "collective judgment of both the Congress and the President" in use of war powers.
International organizations
- American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2009. , 2009-02-24, originally , 1997-03-20. Ends U.S. participation and membership in the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and its activities. - World Trade Organization, 1999-2000: Withdraws U.S. membership in the World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
.
The American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2009 (ASRA) is U.S. House of Representatives bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
1146 of the first session of the 111th Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
, "to end membership of the United States in the United Nations" (U.N.). The bill was first introduced on March 20, 1997, as , to the first session of the 105th Congress
105th United States Congress
The One Hundred Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999, during the fifth and...
(the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 1997); it was a legislative effort to remove the U.S. from the UN. Paul reintroduced the bill on February 24, 2009
The bill was authored by Ron Paul to effect U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations. It would repeal various laws pertaining to the U.N., terminate authorization for funds to be spent on the U.N., terminate U.N. presence on U.S. property, and withdraw diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
for U.N. employees. It would provide up to two years for the U.S. to withdraw. The Yale Law Journal
Yale Law Journal
The Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
cited the Act as proof that "the United States’s complaints against the United Nations have intensified."
In a letter to Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
of April 16, 2003, and in a speech to Congress on April 29, Paul requested the repeatedly-bottlenecked issue be voted on, because "Americans deserve to know how their representatives stand on the critical issue of American sovereignty." Though he did not foresee passage in the near future, Paul believed a vote would be good for "those who don't want to get out of the United Nations but want to tone down" support; cosponsor Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
's spokeswoman similarly said Bartlett "would welcome any action that would begin the debate".
It had 54 supporters in the House in its first year. It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was never released for a vote.
National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
cited the ASRA as an example of grassroots effort "to educate the American people about the efforts of foreign tyrants to disarm them". Supporters approved of its intent to end financial ties to the UN, its peace-keeping missions, and its building in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A report by Herbert W. Titus, Senior Legal Advisor of the Liberty Committee, concluded that "the American Sovereignty Restoration Act is the only viable solution to the continued abuses of the United Nations."
On its front page, the Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, Texas, Advocate, a newspaper in Paul's district, expressed pride for the Act in the face of what it called several undeclared "United Nations wars".
Henry Lamb considers it "the only way to be sure that the U.S. will win the showdown at the U.N. Corral", considering that without withdrawal, U.N. claims of diplomatic immunity and Congressional subpoena power threaten each other, as in the oil-for-food scandal.
Critics say it "undoubtedly paints a bull's-eye across the entire country". Tim Wirth
Tim Wirth
Timothy Endicott Wirth is a former United States Senator from Colorado. Wirth, a Democrat, was a member of the House from 1975 to 1987 and was elected to the Senate in 1986, serving one term there before stepping down. He was Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs during the Clinton...
, president of the United Nations Foundation
United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation started up in 1998 with a $1 billion grant from Ted Turner in order to support the United Nations in executing its programs worldwide. The creation of the Foundation was intended to encourage other donors to also support the UN in its activities...
, finds the bill contrary to United States interests: "This piece of legislation has been brought by Ron Paul every year over the last 20 [sic] years and it never goes anywhere."
A policy review of U.S.–Canada relations describes the Act as reflecting "extreme views," but indicative of a majority pro-sovereignty view in Congress, expressed in tighter border and immigration policy, unilateralism in foreign policy, and increased national security focus.
Similar U.S. legislation includes Ron Paul's proposal to end U.S. contributions to the United Nations and affiliated agencies, which had Republican support but failed as an appropriations amendment by a vote of 74; and Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
's proposal to cut a $100 million payment to the U.N., based on General Accounting Office claims that the U.S. has overpaid by $3.5 billion (the UN claimed that it was owed $1.3 billion).
The 2002 Republican Party of Texas
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. State of Texas. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party. The State Chairman is Steve Munisteri, a retired attorney and businessman from Houston, and the Vice-Chair is Melinda Fredricks of Conroe....
platform explicitly urged passage of the ASRA; withdrawal from the U.N. had been on the platform at least since 1998.
Both houses of the Arizona legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
introduced legislation petitioning Congress to pass the ASRA (HCM 2009 in 2004, SCM 1002 in 2006); in 2007 similar legislation passed the Arizona Senate
Arizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
(SCM 1002 in 2007), but with the focus changed from the ASRA to Virgil Goode
Virgil Goode
Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr. , is an American politician, last serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 5th congressional district of Virginia from 1997 to 2009...
's Congressional resolution not to engage in a NAFTA Superhighway
NAFTA superhighway
The NAFTA superhighway is a term sometimes used to refer to certain existing and proposed highways. The beliefs associated with this appellation have been characterized as a part of theories of a conspiracy to undermine U.S...
or a North American Union
North American Union
The North American Union is a theoretical economic union, in some instances also a political union, of Canada, Mexico, and the United States...
.
The John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
recognizes the ASRA as a reflection of its efforts since 1962 toward U.S. withdrawal. Their publication New American sees Nathan Tabor
Nathan Tabor
John Nathan Tabor is an American perennial candidate and nonfiction author.-Career:In May 1999, Tabor joined Revival Soy as joint owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing...
's anti-U.N. book, The Beast on the East River, as a building block toward ASRA passage, which it advocates because "the U.S. military is currently being used as the enforcement arm of the United Nations."
In 2000, Tom DeWeese's American Policy Center said it delivered to Congress more than 300,000 signatures from petitions in support of the Act.
An organization calling itself the Liberty Committee also organized a nationwide petition drive asking Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
to schedule the bill for a vote.
Borders and immigration
- Terror Immigration Elimination Act of 2007. , 2007-07-27, originally , 2003-01-29. Limits the issuance of student and diversity immigrant visas in relation to Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, countries that support terrorism, and countries not cooperating fully with United States antiterrorism efforts. - Birthright citizenship: , 2007-06-13, originally , 2005-04-28. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to deny United States citizenship to individuals born in the United States to parents who are neither United States citizens nor persons who owe permanent allegiance to the United States. Clarifies the Fourteenth Amendment in accord with Paul's opposition to birthright citizenship.
- Trans-Texas Corridor: , 2008-01-29. To prohibit the use of Federal funds to carry out the highway project known as the "Trans-Texas CorridorTrans-Texas CorridorThe Trans-Texas Corridor was a transportation network that was discontinued in the planning and early construction stages in the U.S. State of Texas. The network, as originally envisioned, would have been composed of a network of supercorridors up to wide to carry parallel links of tollways,...
".
Terrorism
- Police Security Protection Act. , 2007-08-01, originally , 1997-04-23 (Law Officer's Armor Vest Tax Credit Act of 1997). Creates tax credit for law enforcement officers who purchase armor vests.
- Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007. , 2007-08-01, originally , 2001-09-14. Proposed immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks, permits pilots and navigators of aircraft, and law enforcement personnel detailed to aircraft, to carry firearms.
- Marque and Reprisal Act of 2007. , 2007-07-27. To authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal with respect to certain acts of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, and other similar acts of war planned for the future.
Taxes
- Tax Free Tips Act of 2009. , 2009-01-28, originally , 1998-08-05. Provides that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.
- Public Safety Tax Cut Act. , 2007-08-01, originally , 1999-10-21. Creates tax credit for police officers and professional firefighters, and makes public safetyPublic SafetyPublic safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
volunteer benefits nontaxable. - Cost of Government Awareness Act of 2007. , 2007-09-19, originally , 2000-07-13. Eliminates employer withholding taxWithholding taxWithholding tax, also called retention tax, is a government requirement for the payer of an item of income to withhold or deduct tax from the payment, and pay that tax to the government. In most jurisdictions, withholding tax applies to employment income. Many jurisdictions also require...
and replaces it with monthly installment payment of income tax by employees, finding that withholding taxes are inherently deceptive and unfair and that they "hide the true cost of government from taxpayers, making tax increases more feasible". - Taxpayers' Freedom of Conscience Act of 2009. , 2009-02-26, originally , 2003-04-01. To prohibit any Federal official from expending any Federal funds for any population control or population planning program or any family planning activity.
- Property tax: , 2007-12-05, originally , 2006-07-20. Creates income tax deduction for real property taxProperty taxA property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es. - Abolition of income tax: , 2007-02-07. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens. Repeals the Sixteenth Amendment, income tax, estate tax, and gift tax, and limits the government only to Constitutionally authorized enterprises. Paul had proposed similar legislation in 1999-2000 and in 2001.
- Lutetium oxide: , 2009-02-10, originally , 2007-10-02. To suspend temporarily the duty on lutetium oxide, an ingredient in laser crystals.
- Tax Relief for Transportation Workers Act. , 2009-02-13, originally , 2008-05-07. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief for obtaining transportation worker identification credentials.
Inflation
- Affordable Gas Price Act. , 2007-05-21, originally , 2005-10-06. To reduce the price of gasoline by allowing for offshore drilling, eliminating Federal obstacles to constructing refineries and providing incentives for investment in refineries, suspending Federal fuel taxes when gasoline prices reach a benchmark amount, and promoting free trade.
- Make No Cents Until It Makes Sense Act. , 2007-11-08. To amend title 31, United States Code, to prohibit the further minting of 1-cent coins until the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System certify in writing that there is not a surplus of 1-cent coins already available for use in transactions, and for other purposes. The U.S. Mint currently spends $.014, which is more than the face value, for each copper-clad zincZincZinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
U.S. cent it produces. Paul joked, "We can't even afford a zinc standard anymore."
Sound money/Federal Reserve
- Coinage Act of 1983. Called for new legal-tender gold and silver coins. Ahead of its time, this Act anticipated the successful Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985The Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, Pub. L. No. 99-185, 99 Stat. 1177 , codified at through , , , and amending and , has helped the American Gold Eagle to quickly become one of the world's leaders in gold bullion coin...
, which led to the minting of American Gold EagleAmerican Gold EagleThe American Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986.- Details :...
s. - Gold standard, 1983: Attempted to reinstate the gold standardGold standardThe gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
. - Coinage legislation, 1984: Sought to require Congressional approval of any new coinage and paper money designs, and formal retention of all test notes from the Bureau of Engraving and PrintingBureau of Engraving and PrintingThe Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is paper currency for the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve itself is...
. - Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act. , 2009-02-03, originally , 1999-03-17. Abolishes the Federal Reserve Board and its banks and repeals the Federal Reserve ActFederal Reserve ActThe Federal Reserve Act is an Act of Congress that created and set up the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States of America, and granted it the legal authority to issue Federal Reserve Notes and Federal Reserve Bank Notes as legal tender...
. - Honest Money Act. , 2007-06-15, originally , 2003-07-17. Repeals 31 U.S.C. 5103, the legal tenderLegal tenderLegal tender is a medium of payment allowed by law or recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency is a common form of legal tender in many countries....
law that currently mandates acceptance of Federal Reserve notes as legal tender, in accord with hard money policy. - Sunshine in Monetary Policy Act. , 2007-06-15, originally , 2006-03-07. Requires the Federal Reserve Board to continue to publish the M3 monetary aggregate on a weekly basis. The Federal Reserve ceased publishing M3 statistics as of March 23, 2006, explaining that it costs a lot to collect the data but does not provide significantly useful information.
- Free Competition in Currency Act of 2007. , 2007-12-13. Strikes sections 486 and 489 of title 18, United States Code, due to "prosecutorial abuse". The Code sections effectively restrict private minting, and were cited by the FBI as justification for its November 2007 raid of Liberty Services, and its seizure of property allegedly including nearly two tons of precious metals and copper — much of which had been independently minted by Liberty Services with Paul's image. Paul commented, "If we don't do something about the dollar, the market will. I would like to legalize competition in currency."
- Tax-Free Gold Act of 2008. , 2008-02-13. To provide that no tax or fee may be imposed on certain coins and bullion. Prohibits taxation on goldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, platinumPlatinumPlatinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, palladiumPalladiumPalladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
, or rhodiumRhodiumRhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
bullion and transactions, and state taxation on gold and silver legal tenderLegal tenderLegal tender is a medium of payment allowed by law or recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency is a common form of legal tender in many countries....
currencies and instruments in interstate or foreign commerce. - Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. , 2009-02-26. To reform the manner in which the Board of GovernorsBoard of governorsBoard of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
of the Federal Reserve System is audited by the Comptroller General of the United StatesComptroller General of the United StatesThe Comptroller General of the United States is the director of the Government Accountability Office , a legislative branch agency established by Congress in 1921 to ensure the fiscal and managerial accountability of the federal government...
and the manner in which such audits are reported. Ensures the audit results are available to Congress, and includes the Fed's "discount window", its funding facilities, its open market operations, and its agreements with foreign bankers. Proponents state that the Fed has never been audited by Congress since the Fed's creation in 1913. The Federal Reserve states that "the financial statements of the Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors are audited annually by an independent outside auditor." Paul says that the present audit process exempts the Fed's "most crucial activities".
Significant advocacy for the Transparency Act has ensued. At a rally in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, outside the office of Baron Hill
Baron Hill
Baron Paul Hill is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1999 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D
Dems
DEMS may refer to:*Democratic Party *Deepika English Medium School*Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships...
-IN
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
), a Young Americans for Liberty
Young Americans for Liberty
Young Americans for Liberty is a political organization that was formed in 2008 at the end of Congressman Ron Paul's Presidential campaign. They focus on educating their peers about various topics including libertarian values and emphasizing the role of the Constitution in the American government...
petition encouraging Hill to vote in favor of the bill circulated among a crowd of 200; Hill did not comment to YAL, according to member Meredith Milton. The advocacy group Campaign for Liberty (CFL) encourages members to petition representatives to cosponsor the Transparency Act, sponsoring hundreds of pro-bill rallies in cities like Boone, North Carolina
Boone, North Carolina
Boone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...
; Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
; and (CFL regional conference) St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
of Fox News mentioned the Transparency Act while discussing ways for the average person to remind Congress, "Hey, you work for me". During Beck's April 15 show from his rally at the Alamo in San Antonio, Pat Gray
Pat Gray
Pat Gray is an American talk radio host. He is a co-host of The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated radio talk show featuring host Glenn Beck. Gray was formerly the host of the morning show on radio station KSEV.-History:...
interviewed a local supporter of the Transparency Act, drawing cheers from the crowd. A blogger on The Motley Fool
Motley Fool
The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company that provides financial solutions for investors through various stock, investing, and personal finance products. The Alexandria, Virginia-based private company was founded in July 1993 by co-chairmen and brothers David and Tom Gardner, and...
website called the bill "the first attempt at a true audit of the Federal Reserve since its inception in 1913" and affirmed Paul's Congressionally published column describing his legislation.
- Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009. , 2009-03-05. Requires the Federal Reserve to publish information on financial assistance provided to various entities during the bailout of 2008; creates a website listing all banks that have borrowed from the Fed since March 24, 2008, and the amount, terms, and "specific rationale" of the loans. U.S. Senate sponsor Bernie SandersBernie SandersBernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
(I-VTVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
) commented, "I have a hard time understanding how you have put $2.2 trillion at risk without making those names available." Fed chair Ben BernankeBen BernankeBen Shalom Bernanke is an American economist, and the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States. During his tenure as Chairman, Bernanke has overseen the response of the Federal Reserve to late-2000s financial crisis....
had told Sanders that publishing the names would make the banks feel stigmatized and potentially reluctant to borrow further.
Social Security
- Social Security earnings limit repeal (cosponsor): Repealed the earnings limitation on Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
. Seniors now continue working after retirement without being penalized. - Social Security Beneficiary Tax Reduction Act. , 2009-01-06, originally , 1997-10-23. Repeals the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.
- Social Security Preservation Act of 2009. , 2009-01-06, originally , 1999-01-06, cosponsored since , 1997-02-27. Invests the Social Security surplus "trust funds" in marketable interest-bearing obligations and certificates of deposit, essentially insuring the integrity of the surplus.
- Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act. , 2009-01-06, originally , 2002-05-22, cosponsored since , 1999-02-12. Makes Social Security and Railroad Retirement BoardRailroad Retirement BoardThe U.S. Railroad Retirement Board is an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government created in 1935 to administer a social insurance program providing retirement benefits to the country's railroad workers....
payments nontaxable. - Social Security for Americans Only Act of 2009. , 2009-01-06, originally , 2003-01-29. Limits Social Security benefits to U.S. citizens and nationals.
Freedom of religion
- Religious Freedom Amendment. , 1997-05-08 (cosponsor). Clarifies the "right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience" to include the right of prayer in public schools and other public property, and to prohibit state establishment of religion or requirements to participate in prayer.
- Hostettler amendment (Ten Commandments display): , 2005-06-15 (voted in favor), amending , 2005-06-10. Defunds the southern IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
U.S. District Court judgment Russelburg v. Gibson County, which had directed the removal of a Ten CommandmentsTen CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
display on the county courthouse lawn. The district judge later reversed himself, holding that the Indiana display met the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
's test described in Van Orden v. PerryVan Orden v. PerryVan Orden v. Perry, 545 U.S. 677 was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States of America, involving whether a display of the Ten Commandments on a monument given to the government at the Texas State Capitol in Austin violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.In a...
, handed down two weeks after the Hostettler amendment. - See We the People Act.
Freedom of association
- National ID (amendment): Prohibited funding for national identification numberNational identification numberA national identification number, national identity number, or national insurance number is used by the governments of many countries as a means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of work, taxation, government benefits, health care, and other...
s. - Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2009. , 2009-01-06, originally , 1999-01-06 (Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act). Protects Social Security numberSocial Security numberIn the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
confidentiality, prohibits uniform national identifying numbers, and prohibits imposition of federal identification standards. - TV Consumer Freedom Act. , 2007-09-19, originally , 1999-03-11. Requires consent for signal retransmission, eliminates must-carry requirements, terminates Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) mandates for television features and functions, and clarifies retransmission rights of satellite carriers. - Freedom to Bank Act. , 2009-03-10, originally , 2006-09-29. Ends laws and regulations which deny decision-making opportunities and communication controlFree bankingFree banking refers to a monetary arrangement in which banks are subject to no special regulations beyond those applicable to most enterprises, and in which they also are free to issue their own paper currency...
to bank account holders. States in its long title that such laws "treat the American people like children".
Right to keep and bear arms
- Second Amendment Protection Act of 2007. , 2007-02-15, originally , 1997-10-23. Defends law-abiding citizens' Second Amendment rights to own firearms.
- National Park Second Amendment Restoration and Personal Protection Act of 2007. , 2007-04-17. Prohibits firearm regulation within the National ParkNational parkA national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
System. Based on 2006 legislation by Senator George AllenGeorge Allen (U.S. politician)George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
. - Citizens Protection Act of 2007. , 2007-05-22. Repeals the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 as amended.
- See also the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007.
Habeas corpus
- See American Freedom Agenda Act.
Limited government
- Term limits, 1970s: Paul was the first member of Congress to propose term limitTerm limitA term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s legislation in the House, one of several bills considered "ahead of their time" by Texas Monthly magazine. - Market Process Restoration Act of 1999. , 1999-05-13. Repeals United States antitrust law (which limits cartelCartelA cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
s and monopolies), with intent to restore market economy benefits. - To repeal the Military Selective Service Act. , 2007-01-11, originally , 2001-04-26, cosponsored since , 1997-09-05. Abolishes the Selective Service System, prohibits reestablishment of the draft, and forbids denial of rights due to failure to register.
- Eminent domain: Prevented the Department of Housing and Urban Development from seizing a church in New York through eminent domainEminent domainEminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
. - International Criminal Court (ICC): Barred ICCInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
jurisdiction over the U.S. military (2002 amendment). - Global tax: Barred American participation in any U.N. "global taxTobin taxA Tobin tax, suggested by Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin, was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another...
" (2005 amendment). - Surveillance: Barred surveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
on peaceful First Amendment activities by citizens (2006 amendment). Individual privacy may be an area of Paul's greatest influence, and he has long worked tirelessly against forms of what he considers to be federal snooping. - Sunlight Rule. , 2009-03-05, originally , 2006-03-02. Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to ensure that Members have a reasonable amount of time to read legislation that will be voted upon. Prohibits votes on legislation from occurring until ten days after its introduction, with the intent of giving lawmakers enough time to read bills before voting on them; allots 72 hours for House members and staff to examine the contents of amendments. Paul charged his fellow legislators with voting for the Patriot Act in 2001 without reading it first; more than 300 pages long, it was enacted into law less than 24 hours after being introduced.
- Congressional Responsibility and Accountability Act. , 2007-08-01. Prohibits federal rules and regulations not enacted into law by Congress, if they result in job loss or exceed specified costs to individuals, corporations, or all persons in aggregate.
- American Freedom AgendaAmerican Freedom AgendaThe American Freedom Agenda is a United States organization established in March 2007 by disaffected libertarian-oriented conservatives demanding that the Republican Party return to its traditional mistrust of concentrated government power...
Act of 2007. , 2007-10-15. To restore the Constitution's checks and balances and protections against government abuses as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Proposes to "bar the use of evidence obtained through torture; require that federal intelligence gathering is conducted in accordance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA); create a mechanism for challenging presidential signing statements; repeal the Military Commissions Act, which, among other things, denies habeas corpus to certain detainees; prohibit kidnapping, detentions, and torture abroad; protect journalists who publish information received from the executive branch; and ensure that secret evidence is not used to designate individuals or organizations with a presence in the U.S. as foreign terrorists." - See also the limited government and income tax abolition amendment.
We the People Act
- We the People Act. , 2009-01-14, originally , 2004-03-04. Forbids all federal courts from hearing cases on abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, same-sex unionSame-sex unionSame-sex unions are legal or religious unions between two persons of the same sex.In legal contexts, their recognition varies based upon the region in which the union is formed. Some regions allow same-sex marriage, civil marriage between two persons of the same sex. Others recognize civil unions...
s, sexual practices, and establishment of religion, unless such a case were a challenge to the Constitutionality of federal law. Makes federal court decisions on those subjects nonbinding as precedent in state courts, and forbids federal courts from spending money to enforce their judgments.
Because it forbids federal courts from adjudicating "any claim involving the laws, regulations, or policies of any State or unit of local government relating to the free exercise or establishment of religion", secularists have criticized the bill as removing federal remedy for allegations of state violation of religious freedom. As an example of potential for violation, Article 1 of the Texas Constitution
Texas Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Texas.Texas has had seven constitutions: the constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, the 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, the state constitutions of 1845,...
provides the (currently unenforced) requirement that office-holders "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being". The Democratic Underground
Democratic Underground
Democratic Underground, also known as DU, is an online community for U.S. Democrats and progressives. Its membership is restricted by policy to those who are generally supportive of progressive ideals and support Democratic candidates for political office. DU was established on January 20, 2001,...
online community published the holding that the bill would give state sexual-orientation laws special immunity. The bill is comparable to other jurisdiction stripping
Jurisdiction stripping
Jurisdiction stripping, also called curtailment of jurisdiction or court stripping, refers to the congressional practice of defining the jurisdiction of the United States federal judiciary as to eliminate its ability to hear certain classes of claims, thereby making certain legislative or executive...
legislation such as the Constitution Restoration Act
Constitution Restoration Act
The Constitution Restoration Act of 2005 was filed on March 3, 2005 by United States Senator Richard Shelby and Representative Robert Aderholt . It is Senate bill S 520 and House of Representatives bill H.R. 1070...
.
Paul told Congress, "The best guarantor of true liberty is decentralized political institutions, while the greatest threat to liberty is concentrated power." In April 2006 the Traditional Values Coalition
Traditional Values Coalition
The Traditional Values Coalition is a conservative Christian organization that represents, by its estimate, over 43,000 Christian churches throughout the United States of America...
encouraged its contacts to lobby their representatives for passage; the bill was also endorsed by columnist Rev. Chuck Baldwin
Chuck Baldwin
Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004...
, and cosponsors include Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
, Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
, Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson
Samuel Robert "Sam" Johnson is an American politician and a retired career U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot. He currently is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Texas...
, Walter Jones, Jr., John A. Sullivan, John Duncan, Jr., and Ted Poe
Ted Poe
Lloyd "Ted" Poe is a Republican politician currently representing Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes most of northern Houston, as well as most of the Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan area. He is the first Republican to ever...
.
Abortion
- Sanctity of Life ActSanctity of Life ActThe Sanctity of Life Act was a bill first introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Rep. Steve Stockman on July 20, 1995, and cosponsored by Rep. Barbara Cubin . It was reintroduced with similar text by Rep. Ron Paul in 2005 in the 109th United States Congress, 110th United...
of 2007. , 2007-06-06, originally , 2005-02-10. For the purposes of statutory construction over the jurisdictional limitation imposed, declares that "human life shall be deemed to exist from conceptionHuman fertilizationHuman fertilization is the union of a humanoid egg and sperm, usually occurring in the ampulla of the uterine tube. The result of this union is the production of a zygote, or fertilized egg, initiating prenatal development...
". Removes federal court jurisdiction over abortion cases arising from state laws and effectively negates Roe v. WadeRoe v. WadeRoe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
as binding legal precedent. Such a law returns to each state the power to decide whether or not abortion should be allowed, banned, or regulated. - See also Taxpayers' Freedom of Conscience Act of 2007.
Stem-cell research
- Cures Can Be Found Act of 2009. , 2009-03-19, originally , 2005-07-26. Provides tax credits for qualified stem-cell research or storage and for donation of umbilical cord blood.
Education
- Teacher certification (amendment): Prohibited funding of federal teacher certification.
- Family Education Freedom ActFamily Education Freedom ActThe Family Education Freedom Act is a bill initially introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representative Ron Paul in 1998. It would allow tax credits for education expenses....
of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 1997-06-05. Provides tax credits to families towards spending on any type of children's education–related expenses, publicPublic educationState schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
, private, or homeschool. - Education Improvement Tax Cut Act. , 2009-04-02, originally , 1999-03-02. Applies a $5,000 tax credit per child for donations to any school in support of scholarships or academic or extracurricular programs.
- Teacher Tax Cut Act of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 1999-03-02. Provides all elementary and secondary school teachers with a $1,000 tax cut.
- Hope Plus Scholarship Act of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 2001-06-28. Includes qualified education expenses within the Hope Scholarship CreditHope Scholarship CreditThe Hope credit, provided by , is available to taxpayers who have incurred expenses related to the first two years of postsecondary education. For this credit to be claimed by a taxpayer, the student must attend school on at least a part-time basis...
. - Professional Educators Tax Relief Act of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 2001-06-28. Gives all K–12 school librarians, counselors, and other personnel the same $1,000 tax credit as the Teacher Tax Cut Act.
- Make College Affordable Act of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 2005-01-26, cosponsored since , 1999-04-29. Creates full tax deduction for higher education expenses and interest on student loans.
- Education Professional Development Tax Credit Act of 2007. , 2007-11-05. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow elementary and secondary school teachers a credit against income tax for professional developmentProfessional developmentProfessional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
and training expenses.
Sexual orientation legislation
- Marriage Protection Act of 2007. , 2007-01-30, originally , 2003-10-16 (cosponsor). To limit Federal court jurisdiction over questions under the Defense of Marriage Act. Explicitly permits states to continue making a public-policy exception when deciding the status of same-sex relationshipSame-sex relationshipA same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
s independently of the decisions of other states, as states have in fact been permitted to do in the case of incestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous marriages.
Environment
- A bill to repeal the Soil and Water Conservation Act of 1977. , 1980-04-16.
- Dredging: , 1980-05-01. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to remove federal jurisdiction from dumping in private (non-navigable) waters, and from state dumping permit programs; permits applicants, rather than the Secretary of the Army, to specify disposal sites when requesting permission to discharge dredged or fill material into interstate navigable waters.
- Fisheries: , 1998-04-28. To disapprove a rule requiring the use of bycatchBycatchThe term “bycatch” is usually used for fish caught unintentionally in a fishery while intending to catch other fish. It may however also indicate untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting...
reduction devices in the shrimp fishery of the Gulf of Mexico. Annuls federal mandates that require private fisheries to reduce catches of non-targeted species at their own cost. - Environmental Protection Agency: , 2000-07-13. Disapproves an EPAUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
rule published on 2000-07-13, relating to proposed revisions to its pollutant discharge reduction program, federal antidegradation policy, and water quality planning and management regulations. - Lake Texana dam: Transferred ownership of the Lake TexanaLake TexanaLake Texana is a reservoir on the Navidad River, 8 miles east of Edna, in Jackson County, Texas. The reservoir is formed by the construction of Palmetto Bend Dam, begun in 1968 and completed in 1979. The dam and lake are managed by the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, and supply drinking water to...
dam project from the federal government to TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. - San Jacinto disposal area: , 2007-12-18. To authorize the Secretary of the Army to convey the surface estate of the San Jacinto Disposal Area to the city of Galveston, Texas.
- To provide for the transfer of certain Federal Property to the Galveston Historical Foundation. , 2009-04-27, originally , 2008-07-08.
- Energy Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Automobile Tax Credit Act of 2009. , 2009-03-26, originally , 2008-07-08.
Health reform
- Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 2009. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2003-03-12. Exempts health careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
professionals from antitrust laws in their negotiations with health plans and health insurance issuers. - Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act of 2009. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2003-03-13. Strengthens health savings accounts and credit for health care costs, carries forward unused health benefits, and repeals threshold on medical expenses deduction.
- Seniors' Health Care Freedom Act of 2009. , 2009-01-06, originally , 2005-02-02, cosponsored since , 1999-09-14. Facilitates private contracts under Medicare.
- Nursing Home Emergency Assistance Act. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2005-10-06.
- Treat Physicians Fairly Act of 2009. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2006-03-02. Creates tax credit to medical care providers against income tax for uncompensated emergency medical care, and deduction to hospitals for such care.
- Enhanced Options for Rural Health Care Act of 2007. , 2007-04-17, originally , 2006-09-21. Gives specific permission for rural healthRural healthIn medicine, rural health is the interdisciplinary study of health and health care delivery in the context of a rural environment or location....
facilities designated as critical access hospitals to offer assisted living services without losing their designation.
Tax cuts
- Prescription Drug Affordability Act. , 2009-01-06, originally , 2000-02-10 (Pharmaceutical Freedom Act). Creates prescription drugPrescription drugA prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
tax credit and facilitates import and Internet sale of such drugs. - Cancer and Terminal Illness Patient Health Care Act. , 2007-12-13, originally , 2000-04-13. Assists those suffering from cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and other life-threatening illnessesTerminal illnessTerminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
by waiving the employee portion of Social Security taxes. - Child Health Care Affordability Act. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2000-06-29 (Family Health Tax Cut Act). Creates income tax credit for medical expenses for dependents.
- Freedom From Unnecessary Litigation Act of 2009. , 2009-03-12, originally , 2003-03-12. Creates tax credit for the cost of insurance against negative outcomes from surgery, such as against malpractice of a physician.
- Evacuees Tax Relief Act of 2008. , 2008-09-24, originally , 2005-10-17.
- Phosphoric acid: , 2009-02-10, originally , 2007-10-02. To suspend temporarily the duty on phosphoric acidPhosphoric acidPhosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
, lanthanum salt, ceriumCeriumCerium is a chemical element with the symbol Ce and atomic number 58. It is a soft, silvery, ductile metal which easily oxidizes in air. Cerium was named after the dwarf planet . Cerium is the most abundant of the rare earth elements, making up about 0.0046% of the Earth's crust by weight...
terbium-doped, compounds which have medical uses.
Alternative Health
- Medical Marijuana Patient Protection ActMedical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2008The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2008, also known as , was a bill repeatedly introduced in the United States House of Representatives since 2001, most recently on April 17, 2008, by Ron Paul, M.D. , Barney Frank , Dana Rohrabacher , Maurice Hinchey , and Sam Farr...
. , 2008-04-17, cosponsored since , 2001-07-23 (States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act). Protects authorized medical marijuana patients and protects state-legal farmers against federal raids. Lets states choose their own stances on medical marijuana regulations, and permits further study, regulation, and use by reclassifying the plant medically. - Parental Consent Act of 2007. , 2007-05-17, originally , 2004-10-06 (Let Parents Raise Their Kids Act). To prohibit the use of Federal funds for any universal or mandatory mental health screening program.
- Health Freedom Protection Act. , 2007-05-02, originally , 2005-11-09. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActFederal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActThe United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act , is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. A principal author of this law was Royal S. Copeland, a three-term U.S. Senator from...
regarding health claims of foods and dietary supplements. Authorizes specific health claims to be made about saw palmettoSaw PalmettoSerenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. It has been known by a number of synonyms, including Sabal serrulatum, under which name it still often appears in alternative medicine. It is a small palm, normally reaching a height of...
, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamineGlucosamineGlucosamine is an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. Glucosamine is part of the structure of the polysaccharides chitosan and chitin, which compose the exoskeletons of crustaceans and other arthropods, cell walls in fungi and...
, chondroitin sulfateChondroitin sulfateChondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan composed of a chain of alternating sugars . It is usually found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan. A chondroitin chain can have over 100 individual sugars, each of which can be sulfated in variable positions and quantities...
, and calciumCalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
. Establishes government burden of proof in false advertisingFalse advertisingFalse advertising or deceptive advertising is the use of false or misleading statements in advertising. As advertising has the potential to persuade people into commercial transactions that they might otherwise avoid, many governments around the world use regulations to control false, deceptive or...
cases. - Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible AdultsPersonal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008 was a bill in the United States House of Representatives introduced by Barney Frank in the 110th congress on April 17, 2008 as . The bill had a total of 8 cosponsers...
. , 2008-04-17 (cosponsor).
Agriculture
- Ag and rural legislation: Cofounded Congressional Rural Caucus, a bipartisan group which promotes legislation to help the agriculture industry and rural communities.
- Agriculture Education Freedom Act. , 2009-04-02, originally , 1998-04-01. Makes nontaxable the sale of animals raised and sold as part of an educational program.
- Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009. , 2009-04-02, originally , 2005-06-22. Excludes industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana for Controlled Substances Act purposes, thereby giving the states the power to regulate and permit farming of hemp. The measure would be a first since the national prohibition of industrial hemp farming in the United States. Paul joined prominent liberal Democrats in urging this proposal. He contends that it would help North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and other agriculture states, where farmers have requested the ability to farm hemp for years. The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
wrote that his support for hemp farming could appeal to farmers in IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. - Seafood: , 2007-04-23 (cosponsor). Recognizing the health benefits of eating seafood as part of a balanced diet, and supporting the goals and ideals of National Seafood Month.
- Unpasteurized milk: , 2009-01-28, originally , 2007-11-05. To authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption between states permitting its sale.
Ballot access
- Voter Freedom Act of 2007. , 2007-09-19, originally , 1997-09-16. Establishes the right of ballot accessBallot accessBallot access rules, called nomination rules outside the United States, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is either entitled to stand for election or to appear on voters' ballots...
for candidates with timely petitions containing 1,000 signatures.