September 30th, 2000
Washington, D.C.- Congressman Ron Paul recently added his name to a letter sent by California Representative George Miller urging their colleagues to support student loan debt tax relief.
Under the 1997 “Taxpayer Relief Act,” interest paid on student loans became eligible for an above-the-line deduction on federal income taxes. The deduction is allowed only for the first 60 months of student loan payments, meaning borrowers benefit from the deduction only for five years after graduation. However, a recent Department of Education study showed that less than 20 percent of student borrowers were debt-free five years after receiving their diplomas.
Legislation to lift the 60-month cap and allow borrowers to deduct interest payments for the entire repayment period already passed in the House and Senate earlier this year. Unfortunately, the measure was vetoed by the administration. Paul hopes the measure will be reconsidered by Congress and signed into law before the end of the congressional session.
Lifting the cap particularly would benefit those who face the greatest burden in paying off their student loans. Students from lower-income families tend to borrow more to finance higher education, and often take more than five years to repay their student loans. Similarly, students who find work in lower-paying public sector or non-profit jobs have difficulty becoming debt free in five years.
“Congress should permit all student loan interest payments to be deducted,” Paul stated. “The tax code provides a mortgage interest deduction because Congress chose to assist and encourage those seeking to become homeowners. Similarly, we should help those who obtain loans to finance an all-important college or graduate education. Higher education is every bit as important as home ownership.”
The letter signed by Paul was delivered this week to House Speaker Hastert and the President. “I sincerely hope we can pass this tax relief this year,” Paul concluded. “Congress should ease the tax burden on young people struggling with student loans.”
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September 29th, 2000
Washington, D.C.- Congressman Ron Paul sent a letter to his Congressional colleagues this week, urging their support for legislation designed to return control over the nation’s schools to parents and local school districts. In his letter, Paul cited a recent study by the nonpartisan Manhattan Institute showing the positive effects of state policies promoting parental control over education.
The study confirmed that greater parental control is the key to beneficial education reform. According to the study, states that have adopted policies promoting localized parental control over education have seen a rise in standardized test scores. In fact, such states have seen SAT verbal scores increase an average of 21 points and SAT math scores increase an average of 22 points.
“These findings are hardly surprising,” Paul stated. “When parents control the education system, they make sure their child receives an education which reflects his or her unique needs. In contrast, centralized control over education by federal bureaucrats has produced poor results, because the particular needs of each community are not considered. Washington politicians have imposed a one-size-fits-all model on the nation’s schools, to the detriment of parents and local school districts. It is time to correct that mistake by ending the practice of forcing parents to send all of their education tax dollars to the federal government.”
Paul has introduced the “Family Education Freedom Act” (H.R. 935), a bill which provides parents with a $3,000 per child tax credit for K-12 educational expenses. All parents with school age children qualify for the credit, regardless of whether their children attend public, private, parochial, or home-based schools. Parents may use their credit dollars for many purposes, including tuition payments for private schools, educational tools such as computers and musical instruments for public schools, or to establish scholarship funds. H.R. 935 would return millions of dollars directly to parents, putting them in charge of their children’s education.
“I am glad to see such a prestigious study supporting what I have said all along,” Paul concluded. “Parents across the country are tired of having Washington dictate how their local schools are run. Congressional support for the “Family Education Freedom Act” is needed to begin real education reform in this country.”
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September 27th, 2000
Washington, D.C. – Representative Ron Paul praised America’s home-schoolers this week, acknowledging parents for their sacrifices and achievements in educating their children at home. Paul co-sponsored H.Res. 578, legislation presented on the House floor this week that would designate the first week of October as “National Home Schooling Week.” Paul, in a written statement included in the Congressional Record, told his Congressional colleagues that they should recognize the efforts of home-schooling parents, and strive to help them provide a quality education for their children.
“As a Congressman, I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the home-schooling families in my district,” Paul stated. “I am very impressed by the outstanding job these parents are doing. Home schooling has produced outstanding results in my district and across the country. For example, a 1997 study indicated the average home-school student scores near the 90th percentile nationally on standardized academic achievement tests in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science! Home schoolers, regardless of race or gender, also consistently score above the national average on both the SAT and ACT exams.”
Home schooling has become a popular option for parents across the country. Texas alone has approximately 75,000 home-schooling families, with an average of three children per household. Home-schooling parents have formed numerous organizations to provide their children ample opportunities to interact with other children. Recent data indicate that almost 50% of home-schooled children engage in extracurricular activities like sports and music, while many others are involved in volunteer work in their communities.
“Home-schooling requires tremendous dedication to family and education,” Paul continued. “Congress should allow home-schoolers and all parents to devote more of their resources to their children’s education. I introduced the ‘Family Education Freedom Act’ (H.R. 935) with the goal of allowing education dollars to be spent and controlled locally by parents.”
The Act provides all parents, including home-schoolers, with a $3,000 per child tax credit for K-12 educational expenses. Parents choosing to send their children to the local public school may use their credit dollars to help buy educational tools or fund extracurricular programs for the school, while parents with children in private schools may use the credit for tuition.
“The best way to improve education is to return control to the parents who know best what their children need,” Paul concluded. “Congress should empower all parents, including home-schoolers, to control their children’s education. I urge all of my colleagues to support the ‘Family Education Freedom Act.’”
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September 27th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, in the town of Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, the first shot for Texas Independence was fired from a cannon by colonists waving a flag which proclaimed ‘Come and Take It.’ Gonzales became known as the ‘Lexington of Texas. ‘
The Little Cannon has been recognized by many as a true and proper memento of our glorious past and has appeared in no less historic sites as the Alamo and the rotunda of the Texas Capitol, and is forever enshrined in The Great Seal of Texas.
Exactly 165 years after the shot was fired, on the afternoon of October 2, 2000, the City of Gonzales will accept the ‘Come and Take It Cannon’ from the estate of Dr. Patrick J. Wagner.
The Little Cannon will be an ever-present reminder to the citizens of Gonzales of the courage of those who stood at the ‘Lexington of Texas’ and first cried, ‘Come and Take It!’
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September 26th, 2000
Washington, D.C.-Today, Representative Ron Paul received a letter from the Committee on House Administration informing him that he had once again spent less than the budgeted amount in 1999. Each year, House members are granted an allowance to staff their congressional offices and pay expenses. The Administration Committee letter confirmed that Paul returned more than $35,000 to Treasury coffers in 1999. Paul similarly has returned funds to the Treasury each year since becoming the Representative for the 14th district of Texas in 1997.
Paul is well known as a strong voice for fiscal responsibility in Congress, consistently voting against spending measures and unconstitutional appropriations. Paul has lived by his anti-spending credo, refusing to participate in the lucrative congressional pension system. Returning to the House in 1997, Paul criticized the pension system as “immoral” and “wasteful.” “The pension is one reason why so many politicians stay in Washington so long: they get a better retirement plan from the government than they could ever get from an honest job back home,” Paul stated.
Despite his frugal approach, Paul has been effective in providing constituent services in his district. He routinely earns praise from constituents, who appreciate the direct and timely approach taken by Paul and his staff when addressing various concerns. In 1997 Paul created a “mobile office” (in the form of a minivan), which travels to smaller rural communities and provides residents an opportunity to meet with a staff member and voice concerns. He also appears regularly at a wide variety of functions throughout his district, preferring to spend time in his district when the House is not in session. “I’m not interested in going out to dinner with lobbyists,” Paul laughed. “I’m happier in Texas.”
Paul was pleased but not surprised when apprised of his own “budget surplus.” “I want to reduce government spending and reduce taxes,” Paul stated. The federal government, including Congress, could operate with a much smaller budget. I am glad to do my part by returning unspent funds each year to the Treasury. I will continue to serve my constituents in a fiscally responsible fashion, and I will never waste their tax dollars.”
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September 26th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H. Res. 578, which celebrates the accomplishments of parents across the nation who have chosen to educate their children at home by designating the first week of October as ‘National Home Schooling Week.’ While serving in Congress, I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the home-schooling parents in my district. I am very impressed by the job these parents are doing in providing their children with a quality education. I have also found that home schooling parents are among the most committed activists in the cause of advancing individual liberty, constitutional government, and traditional values. I am sure my colleagues on the Education Committee would agree that the support of home schoolers was crucial in defeating the scheme to implement a national student test.
Home schooling is becoming a popular option for parents across the country. In Texas alone, there are approximately 75,000 home schooling families educating an average of three children per household. Home schooling is producing some outstanding results. For example, according to a 1997 study the average home schooled student scores near the 19th percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. Further proof of the success of home schooling is the fact that in recent years, self-identified home schoolers have scored well above the national average on both the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). All home schooled children, regardless of race, income-level, or gender achieve these high scores.
Contrary to media-generated stereotypes portraying home schooled children as isolated from their peers, home schooled children participate in a wide variety of social, athletic, and extra-curricular activities. Home schooling parents have formed numerous organizations designed to provide their children ample opportunity to interact with other children. In fact, recent data indicates that almost 50 percent of home schooled children engage in extra-curricular activities such as group sports and music classes, while a third of home schooled children perform volunteer work in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, to be a home schooling parent takes a unique dedication to family and education. In many cases, home school families must forgo the second income of one parent, as well as incurring the costs of paying for textbooks, computers, and other school supplies. Home schooling parents must pay these expenses while, like All-American families, struggling to pay state, local, and federal taxes.
In order to help home schoolers, and all parents, devote more of their resources to their children’s education, I have introduced the Family Education Freedom Act (H.R. 935). This bill provides all parents a $3,000 per child tax credit for K-12 education expenses. This bill will help home school parents to provide their children a first-class education in a loving home environment.
The Family Education Freedom Act will also benefit those parents who choose to send their children to public or private schools. Parents who choose to send their children to private school may use their tax credit to help cover the cost of tuition. Parents who choose to send their children to public schools may use their tax credit to help finance the purchase of educational tools such as computers or extracurricular activities like music programs. Parents may also use the credit to pay for tutoring and other special services for their children.
Mr. Speaker, the best way to improve education is to return control over education resources to the people who best know their children’s unique needs: those children’s parents. Congress should empower all parents, whether they choose to home school or send their child to a public or private school, with the means to control their child’s education. That is why I believe the most important education bill introduced in this Congress is the Family Education Freedom Act.
In conclusion, I once again wish to express my strong support for H. Res. 578 and urge all my colleagues to support this resolution and acknowledge the accomplishments of those parents who have avoided the problems associated with an education controlled by federal ‘educrats’ by choosing to educate their children at home. I also urge my colleagues to help home schoolers, and all parents, ensure their children get a quality education by cosponsoring the Family Education Freedom Act.
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September 25th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to explain why I must oppose H. Con. Res. 399, which celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). My opposition to H. Con. Res. 399 is based on the simple fact that there is a better way to achieve the laudable goal of educating children with disabilities than through an unconstitutional program and thrusts children, parents, and schools into an administrative quagmire. Under the IDEA law celebrated by this resolution, parents and schools often become advisories and important decisions regarding a child’s future are made via litigation. I have received complaints from a special education administrator in my district that unscrupulous trial lawyers are manipulating the IDEA process to line their pockets at the expenses of local school districts. Of course, every dollar a local school district has to spend on litigation is a dollar the district cannot spend educating children.
IDEA may also force local schools to deny children access to the education that best suits their unique needs in order to fulfill the federal command that disabled children be educated ‘in the least restrictive setting,’ which in practice means mainstreaming. Many children may thrive in a mainstream classroom environment, however, some children may be mainstreamed solely because school officials believe it is required by federal law, even though the mainstream environment is not the most appropriate for that child.
On May 10, 1994, Dr. Mary Wagner testified before the Education Committee that disabled children who are not placed in a mainstream classroom graduate from high school at a much higher rate than disabled children who are mainstreamed. Dr. Wagner quite properly accused Congress of sacrificing children to ideology.
IDEA also provides school personal with incentives to over-identify children as learning disabled, thus unfairly stigmatizing many children and, in a vicious cycle, leading to more demands for increased federal spending on IDEA also IDEA encourages the use of the dangerous drug Retalin for the purpose of getting education subsidies. Instead of celebrating and increasing spending on a federal program that may actually damage the children it claims to help, Congress should return control over education to those who best know the child’s needs: parents. In order to restore parental control to education, I have introduced the Family Education Freedom Act (HR 935), which provides parents with a $3,000 per child tax credit to pay for K-12 education expenses. My tax credit would be of greatest benefit to parents of children with learning disabilities because it would allow them to devote more of their resources to ensure their children get an education that meets the child’s unique needs.
In conclusion, I would remind my colleagues that parents and local communities know their children so much better than any federal bureaucrat, and they can do a better job of meeting a child’s needs than we in Washington. There is no way that my grandchildren, and some young boy or girl in Los Angeles, CA or New York City can be educated by some sort of ‘Cookie Cutter’ approach. Thus, the best means of helping disabled children is to empower their parents with the resources to make sure their children receives an education suited to that child’s special needs, instead of an education that scarifies that child’s best interest on the altar of the ‘Washington-knows-best’ ideology.
I therefore urge my colleagues to join with me in helping parents of special needs children provide their children with a quality education that meets the child’s needs by repealing federal mandates that divert resources away from helping children and, instead, embrace my Family Education Freedom Act.
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September 22nd, 2000
Washington, D.C. – Earlier this week, Representative Ron Paul addressed his congressional colleagues to ask their support for his efforts assisting families with children suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so Paul took the opportunity to address Congress about the impact of child cancer on American families.
“I know we all agree that few Americans are more in need of help than families dealing with a child’s serious illness” Paul stated. “Apart from the emotional devastation cancer and other terminal illnesses bring to families, the financial impact is enormous. These families are forced to devote all of their financial resources to paying for medical care and related expenses. Often one or both parents cannot work because they must attend to their sick child. This is why I introduced legislation to provide tax relief for families with seriously ill children.”
The Family Health Tax Cut Act (H.R. 4799) provides a $3,000 tax credit to parents caring for a child with cancer, another terminal disease, or any serious condition requiring long-term care. The Act also provides a $500 per child tax credit to working parents for routine health care expenses. Similarly, Paul has introduced legislation (the “Cancer and Terminal Illness Patient Health Care Act”) which would exempt adults facing cancer or a terminal illness from the payroll portion of income taxes.
“As an OB/GYN physician specializing in women’s health issues, I have seen the impact of breast cancer and other terrible diseases on families in my district,” Paul continued. “The tragedy is even greater when a child has cancer. Congress should take this opportunity to support compassionate legislation which reduces the tax burden on families with sick children.”
Paul said the bill would be particularly helpful for parents whose employers cannot afford to provide them with health insurance: “Many employees, especially those in lower-income positions, do not receive health insurance from their employers. They must struggle to provide adequate health care for their children, and the burden is magnified when a child is stricken with a serious illness or physical disability. Congress should ease their burden by lowering or eliminating their income tax bill.”
“Working families with a seriously ill child should use their resources to care for the child, not to pay the tax man,” Paul concluded. “It is hard to imagine a more compassionate action this Congress can take than to reduce taxes on families struggling to provide health care to an ailing child. I call on Congress to support the “Family Health Tax Cut Act.”
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September 21st, 2000
Washington, D.C.- Congressman Ron Paul was named a “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business earlier this week. The group presents its annual award to members of Congress whose voting records demonstrate a strong commitment to small and family-owned businesses. Paul received high marks for his voting record in the 106th Congress, ranking him near the top of all legislators in the House of Representatives.
Specifically, the Federation tallied 20 key small-business votes taken during the 1999 and 2000 House sessions. Tallied votes were based on issues ranging from legal reform measures to regulatory relief and tax reduction.
Federation President Jack Faris praised Paul for “taking a stand” for small business. “The record shows that when the roll is called, Representative Paul has been a true and consistent advocate for Main Street small businesses,” Faris stated. “Small-business owners pay close attention to how their elected representatives vote.”
Paul has introduced or sponsored a variety of legislation designed to reduce burdens on small businesses. “Small-business owners are especially affected by burdensome federal regulations,” Paul stated. “Large corporations can staff whole departments to deal with federal red tape, but smaller enterprises lose valuable hours dealing with the bureaucratic maze. Furthermore, income and payroll tax burdens are a nightmare for many small businesses. Not only are these taxes far too high, but compliance is overly complex and consumes too much time. Imagine how many hours are spent by employees doing something other than fulfilling the basic mission of the business!”
“It is time to dramatically reduce taxes and regulations on America’s small businesses,” Paul continued. “Congress needs to realize that small businesses employ the majority of American workers and truly drive the economic engine of America. Congress needs to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit that creates jobs by working with me to reduce taxes and regulations. Priority number one should be elimination of the estate tax, which forces the closure and sale of many small businesses when the owner dies. I intend to continue working (and voting) to support small businesses.”
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September 21st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, because September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this is an excellent time to reflect on the problems faced by working parents struggling to meet the needs of a child stricken with cancer. I am sure that all would agree that there are few Americans more in need of tax relief than families forced to devote every available resource to caring for a child with a terminal illness such as cancer. This is why I have introduced the Family Health Tax Cut Act (H.R. 4799). This legislation provides a $3,000 tax credit to parents caring for a child with cancer, another terminal disease, or any other serious health condition requiring long-term care. H.R. 4799 also helps all working parents provide routine health care for their children by providing them with a $500 per child tax credit.
The bill will be particularly helpful to those parents whose employers cannot afford to provide their employees’ health insurance. Often-times those employees work in low-income jobs and thus must struggle to provide adequate health care for their children. This burden is magnified when the child needs special care to cope with cancer or a physical disability. Yet, thanks to Congress’ refusal to grant individuals the same tax breaks for health-care expenses it grants businesses, these hard-working parents receive little or no tax relief to help them cope with the tremendous expenses of caring for a child requiring for a child requiring long-term or specialized care.
According to research on the effects of this bill done by my staff and legislative counsel, the benefit of these tax credits would begin to be felt by joint filers with incomes slightly above 18,000 dollars a year or single income filers with incomes slightly above 15,000 dollars per year. Clearly this bill will be of the most benefit to working families balancing the demands of taxation with the needs of their children.
Under the Family Health Tax Cut Act, a struggling single mother with an asthmatic child would at last be able to provide for her child’s needs; while a working-class family will have less worry about how they will pay the bills if one of their children requires lengthy hospitalization or some other form of specialized care.
Mr. Speaker, it is tough enough for working families to cope with a child with a serious illness without having to sacrifice resources that should be used for the care of that child to the federal government. It is hard to think of a more compassionate action this Congress can take than to reduce taxes on America’s parents in order to allow them to help provide quality health care to their children. I therefore call on my colleagues to join me in helping working parents provide health care to their children by cosponsoring H.R. 4799, the Family Health Tax Cut Act.
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