[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 34 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE TAXPAYER'S FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 2009

  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the Taxpayers' 
Freedom of Conscience Act, which forbids federal funds from being used 
for population control or ``family planning.'' The recent executive 
order allowing those who perform and/or promote abortion overseas to 
receive taxpayer money brings new urgency to the need to protect pro-
life Americans from being forced to subsidize abortion.
  It is not enough to say that ``family planning'' groups may not use 
federal funds to perform or promote abortion. After all, since money is 
fungible, federal funding of any activities of these organizations 
forces taxpayers to underwrite the organizations' abortion activities. 
Thus, the Taxpayers' Freedom of Conscience Act is the only way to 
protect taxpayers from having to support what they ``disbelieve and 
abhor.''
  Thomas Jefferson eloquently made the case for Taxpayer's Freedom of 
Conscience Act when he said that: ``To compel a man to furnish 
contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he 
disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.''
  I hope all my colleagues will join me in helping end the ``sinful and 
tyrannical'' policy of forcing pro-life Americans to subsidize, either 
directly or indirectly, abortion by cosponsoring the Taxpayer's Freedom 
of Conscience Act.

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