“There are many more resolutions I would like to see my colleagues in Congress adopt, but respect for the Constitution and the oath of office should be at the core of everything members of Congress do in 2013.” ~ Ron Paul
Dr. No is about to go — home to Texas.
Before he does, however, the sometime presidential candidate and all-the-time defender of the Constitution, Ron Paul (R-Texas), has some parting words for his congressional colleagues.
On his official House of Representatives website, Paul published what he calls a “New Year’s Resolution for Congress.”
“As I prepare to retire from Congress, I’d like to suggest a few New Year’s resolutions for my colleagues to consider,” Paul writes.
First, Paul, the unrepentant and unwavering constitutionalist, encourages lawmakers carrying on in Congress to “consider the strict libertarian constitutional approach to government in 2013.”
There is little debate as to the 12-term congressman’s libertarian bona fides. It is his refusal to vote in favor of any measure not authorized by the Constitution’s enumerated powers that earned the former obstetrician the nickname “Dr. No.”
In the next paragraph, Paul mentions those “few and defined” powers, reminding congressmen of their oaths of office and the obligation they willingly undertake to adhere strictly to the founding document of the Republic:
In just a few days, Congress will solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. They should reread Article 1 Section 8 and the Bill of Rights before taking such a serious oath. Most legislation violates key provisions of the Constitution in very basic ways, and if members can’t bring themselves to say no in the face of pressure from special interests, they have broken trust with their constituents and violated their oaths. Congress does not exist to serve special interests, it exists to protect the rule of law.
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