May 22nd, 2006
Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul is fighting a new federal mandate that threatens to put thousands of small farmers and ranchers out of business. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is an expensive and unnecessary federal program that requires owners of livestock– cattle, dairy, poultry, and even horses– to tag animals with electronic tracking devices. The intrusive monitoring system amounts to nothing more than a tax on livestock owners, allowing the federal government access to detailed information about their private property.
Agribusiness giants support NAIS, because they want the federal government to create a livestock database and provide free industry data. But small and independent livestock owners face a costly mandate if NAIS becomes law.
Paul introduced an amendment to the 2007 agriculture appropriations bill that prohibits any federal funding for implementing NAIS. Paul’s amendment likely will be voted on this Tuesday, May 23 rd .
Under NAIS, small family farmers and ranchers will be forced to spend thousands of dollars tagging animals and complying with new paperwork and monitoring regulations. These farmers and ranchers literally will be paying for an assault on their property and privacy rights, as NAIS empowers federal agents to enter and seize property without a warrant– a blatant violation of the 4 th amendment.
NAIS is not about preventing mad cow or other diseases. States already have animal identification systems in place, and virtually all stockyards issue health certificates. Since most contamination happens after animals have been sold, tracing them back to the farm or ranch that sold them won’t help find the sources of disease.
More than anything, NAIS places our family farmers and ranchers at an economic disadvantage against agribusiness and overseas competition. As dairy farmer and rancher Bob Parker stated, NAIS is “too intrusive, too costly, and will be devastating to small farmers and ranchers.”
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May 18th, 2006
Washington, DC: This year marks the 25 th anniversary of the Congressional art competition, which brings together thousands of high school students from across the country seeking to represent their congressional districts.
The winning entries hang in a hallway within the U.S. Capitol complex in Washington, DC for one year.
More than 50 students from around the 14 th congressional district submitted entries, which were previewed by judges and the public during a 10-day open house in Galveston. Congratulations are in order for the following participants:
Winning Entry:
“Are Ya Comin’?” (painting)
Brittany Faas, El Campo High School
Honorable Mention:
Isaac Farley, Angleton High School
Leslie LaChance, Angleton High School
Kristin Mathew, Angleton High School
Joel Stanulonis, Faith West Academy
Zahira Gallardo, Angleton High School
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May 11th, 2006
Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul yesterday joined more than 240 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives in voting to pass the Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act. This legislation was needed to prevent a tax increase on small business owners, seniors, and married couples scheduled for 2006 and 2008. The bill centers on averting tax hikes on capital gains and dividends, exempting ordinary taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax (AMT), and helping small business owners by extending the Section 179 expensing provision.
“Many of the provisions contained in this legislation were necessary to avoid serious tax consequences for millions of American taxpayers,” Paul stated. “Dividend and capital gains tax relief is needed to encourage people to save for their retirements, and the alternative minimum tax is especially harmful. It was never intended to apply to ordinary taxpayers. This legislation takes a small step toward easing the burden on middle class taxpayers.”
Specifically, the Tax Reconciliation bill:
-Extends the lower 15% rate for capital gains and dividend income for an additional two years. Mutual fund holders who designate a portion of their dividends as capital gains distribution also benefit from this provision.
- Prevents the AMT from ensnaring more middle class taxpayers. It creates a higher AMT exemption level for 2006 ($62,550 for joint filers; $42,500 for single filers). AMT relief is the largest piece of the bill; 15 million middle class taxpayers otherwise would be subject to AMT in 2006.
- Allows many non-refundable tax credits to be claimed against AMT, including the mortgage interest credit, the Hope education credit, and the Lifetime Learning credit.
- Extends the vitally important small business expensing deduction (Section 179) at $100,000 through 2009.
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May 9th, 2006
Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul voted last week to strengthen port security, as the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the SAFE Port Act. The SAFE Port Act authorizes nearly $9 billion between 2007 and 2011 for port grant programs, Coast Guard equipment and officer retention programs, new port inspectors and cargo scanning technology, and radiation monitoring.
“I’m pleased Congress finally decided to spend money securing America’s ports, which is a proper constitutional function of government,” Paul stated. “We need to focus on securing our own borders and coastlines instead of spending so much money overseas guarding other nations. Just a tiny fraction of our overseas military budget could provide tremendous help at our borders and ports. If we’re serious about combating terrorism, port security in Galveston and Freeport must be a higher priority than nation building abroad.”
Specific authorizations contained in the SAFE Port Act include the following:
-$1.9 billion for the Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program to replace aging ships and aircraft;
-$400 million in dedicated grant programs for state and local port authorities;
-200 new federal port-of-entry inspectors;
-more stringent identification requirements for port workers;
-new scanning technology to detect nuclear material or radiation in cargo containers;
-new standards for inspecting a greater percentage of cargo containers; and
-expanded Coast Guard officer training programs.
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May 2nd, 2006
<br />
What Congress Can Do About Soaring Gas Prices<br />
Gasoline prices are soaring and the people are screaming. And they want something done about it-now!
$100 rebate checks to American motorists won’t cut it, nor will mandatory mileage requirements for new vehicles. Taxing oil profits will only force prices higher. But there are some very important things we can do immediately to help.
: We must reassess our foreign policy and announce some changes. One of the reasons we went into Iraq was to secure “our” oil. Before the Iraq war oil was less than $30 per barrel; today it is over $70.The sooner we get out of Iraq and allow the Iraqis to solve their own problems the better. Since 2002 oil production in Iraq has dropped 50%. Pipeline sabotage and fires are routine; we have been unable to prevent them. Soaring gasoline prices are a giant unintended consequence of our invasion, pure and simple.
:We must end our obsession for a military confrontation with Iran. Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and according to our own CIA is not on the verge of obtaining one for years. Iran is not in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and has a guaranteed right to enrich uranium for energy-in spite of the incessant government and media propaganda to the contrary. Iran has never been sanctioned by the UN Security Council. Yet the drumbeat grows louder for attacking certain sites in Iran, either by conventional or even nuclear means. Repeated resolutions by Congress stir up unnecessary animosity toward Iran, and create even more concern about future oil supplies from the Middle East. We must quickly announce we do not seek war with Iran, remove the economic sanctions against her, and accept her offer to negotiate a diplomatic solution to the impasse. An attack on Iran, coupled with our continued presence in Iraq, could hike gas prices to $5 or $6 per gallon here at home. By contrast, a sensible approach toward Iran could quickly lower oil prices by $20 per barrel.
: We must remember that prices of all things go up because of inflation. Inflation by definition is an increase in the money supply. The money supply is controlled by the Federal Reserve Bank, and responds to the deficits Congress creates. When deficits are excessive, as they are today, the Fed creates new dollars out of thin air to buy Treasury bills and keep interest rates artificially low. But when new money is created out of nothing, the money already in circulation loses value. Once this is recognized, prices rise– some more rapidly than others. That’s what we see today with the cost of energy.
Exploding deficits, due to runaway entitlement spending and the cost of dangerous militarism, create pressure for the Fed to inflate the money supply. This contributes greatly to the higher prices we all claim to oppose.
If we want to do something about gas prices, we should demand and vote for greatly reduced welfare and military spending, a balanced budget, and fewer regulations that interfere with the market development of alternative fuels. We also should demand a return to a sound commodity monetary system.
All subsidies and special benefits to energy companies should be ended. And in the meantime let’s eliminate federal gas taxes at the pump.
Oil prices are at a level where consumers reduce consumption voluntarily. The market will work if we let it. But as great as the market economy is, it cannot overcome a foreign policy that is destined to disrupt oil supplies and threaten the world with an expanded and dangerous conflict in the Middle East.
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May 1st, 2006
Congressional Art Competition Open House
May 1-10 in Galveston
Features 72 Entries from the 14 th Congressional District of Texas
May 1, 2006
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Congressional art competition. Every congressional district picks one eventual winner for the prestigious honor of representing it in Washington DC.
More than 50 high school students from across the 14 th congressional district have submitted entries. The winning piece will hang in the Cannon Building in Washington for one year. Since the competition began in 1982, hundreds of thousands of high school students nationwide have participated.
The Public is Invited to Preview the Entries.
Good luck to the following students!
Brazoria County
Jennifer Nge 11 th
Hannah Bradley 12 th
Tyler DuBose 10 th
Courtney Howes 10 th
Sharice McConico 9 th
Zach Ashburn 12 th
Rpberta Marasigan 11 th
Nikki Zurborg 10 th
Baylea Wagener 10 th
Rosa Salas 11 th
Brenda Molina 12 th
Alicia Rabago 10 th
Chase Bieri 11 th
Isaac Farley 12 th
Zahira Gallardo 12 th
Caylen Dalrymple 12 th
Tara Radford 12 th
Sharon Borker 12 th
Alissa Bollich 12 th
Kristen Matthew 11 th
Marie Bosserman 11 th
Amesti Reioux 12 th
Leslie LaChance 9 th
Tyson Karl 12 th
Chambers County
Josh Brokaw 12 th
Kimberly Truncale 11 th
Courtney Martin 12 th
Bryan Bell 12 th
Katherine Canamar 9 th
Johnnie Hays 10 th
CoCo Gonzales 11 th
Jeff Manuel 12 th
Alina McCarley 10 th
Sammy Baugh 11 th
Kris Matthews 12 th
Thomas Davis 12 th
Gina Leal 10 th
Drake Landey 10 th
Steven Bradchalus 10 th
Nick Gandara
Callie Schaser
Aryn Hernandez
Victoria County
Danta Cobb 11 th
Casey Newman 12 th
Marco Zamarripa 12 th
Michael Valle 11 th
Kollette Whitley 12 th
David Roberts 11 th
Brie Bouldin 11 th
Kasey Nix 10 th
Fort Bend County
Joel A Stanulonis 10 th
Home School- Kemah, Texas
Alexandria Rangel
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