[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5627]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE SCANDAL AT WALTER REED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, the scandal at Walter Reed is not an isolated 
incident. It is directly related to our foreign policy of 
interventionism. There is a pressing need to reassess our now widely 
accepted role as the world's lone superpower. If we don't, we are 
destined to reduce our Nation to something far less powerful.
  It has always been politically popular for politicians to promise 
they will keep us out of foreign wars. Likewise, it has been popular to 
advocate ending prolonged and painful conflicts, like the war in Korea 
and Vietnam, and now Iraq.
  As recent as the campaign of 2000, it was quite popular to condemn 
nation building and reject the policy of policing the world in the wake 
of our involvement in Kosovo and Somalia. We were even promised a more 
humble foreign policy.
  Nobody wins elections by promising to take us to war. But, once 
elected, many politicians greatly exaggerate the threat posed by a 
potential enemy, and the people too often carelessly accept the dubious 
reasons given to justify wars.

                              {time}  1800

  Opposition arises only when the true costs are felt here at home.
  A foreign policy of interventionism costs so much money that we're 
forced to close military bases in the United States even as we're 
building them overseas. Interventionism is never good fiscal policy. 
Interventionism symbolizes an attitude of looking outward, toward 
empire, while diminishing the importance of maintaining a 
constitutional republic.
  We close bases here at home--some want to close Walter Reed--while 
building bases in Arab and Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia. We worry 
about foreign borders while ignoring our own. We build permanent 
outposts in Muslim holy lands, occupy territory and prop up puppet 
governments. This motivates suicide terrorism against us.
  Our policies naturally lead to resentment, which in turn leads to 
prolonged wars and increased casualties. We waste billions of dollars 
in Iraq while bases like Walter Reed fall into disrepair. This 
undermines our ability to care for the thousands of wounded we should 
have anticipated despite the rosy predictions that we would be greeted 
as liberators in Iraq.
  Now comes the outrage.
  Now Congress holds hearings.
  Now comes the wringing of hands. I guess better late than never.
  Clean it up. Paint the walls. Make Walter Reed look neat and tidy. 
But this won't solve our problems. We must someday look critically at 
the shortcomings of our foreign policy, a policy that needlessly and 
foolishly intervenes in places where we have no business being.
  Voters spoke very clearly in November: They want the war to end. Yet 
Congress has taken no steps to defund or end a war it never should have 
condoned in the first place.
  On the contrary, Congress plans to spend another $100 billion or more 
in an upcoming Iraq funding bill, more than even the administration has 
requested. The 2007 military budget, $700 billion, apparently is not 
enough. All of this is done under the slogan of supporting the troops, 
even though our policy guarantees more Americans will die and Walter 
Reed will continue to receive tens of thousands of casualties.
  Every problem Congress and the administration creates requires more 
money to fix. The mantra remains the same: Spend more money even though 
we don't have it; borrow from the Chinese, or just print it. This 
policy of interventionism is folly, and it cannot continue forever. It 
will end, either because we wake up or because we go broke.
  Interventionism always leads to unanticipated consequences and 
blowback, like a weakened, demoralized military; exploding deficits; 
billions of dollars wasted; increased inflation; less economic growth; 
an unstable currency; painful stock market corrections; political 
demagoguery; lingering anger at home; and confusion about who is to 
blame.
  These elements combine to create an environment that inevitably 
undermines personal liberty. Virtually all American wars have led to 
diminished civil liberties at home. Most of our mistakes can be laid at 
the doorstep of our failure to follow the Constitution. The 
Constitution, if we so desire, can provide needed guidance and a road 
map to restore our liberties and change our foreign policy. This is 
critical if we truly seek peace and prosperity.

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