GALVESTON — U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, said Saturday he would continue to vote against any unfunded government spending bills as a matter of principle, even if they provide emergency relief funds, while maintaining he would work for earmarks that benefit his constituents.
Paul took half an hour Saturday morning to speak to about 70 people at a meeting of the West Galveston Island Property Owners Association at the Galveston Country Club.
The congressman received a standing ovation after addressing a swath of topics, including the current health care reform bill, the nation’s economic health and foreign policy.
Paul also defended his decision a year ago to vote against an emergency aid bill on the heels of Hurricane Ike. The bill passed Congress and provided money for area residents, including many who attended Saturday’s meeting.
“Getting our house in order is a big deal,” Paul said. “This is the reason I vote against the spending unless it’s paid for.”
The congressman, who is known for his position favoring minimal government and low taxes, said he is not against all programs but wants the programs to pay for themselves or be funded at the state or local levels.
One such government spending bill was a December 2008 disaster recovery measure to provide $22.8 million in emergency aid to Galveston and surrounding areas.
Paul was the only one of nine Houston-area lawmakers to vote against the bill. It passed the House, 370-58.
Reactions at the time among local residents and officials were mixed. The responses Saturday from West Enders were largely enthusiastic.
Milton Gray, a west Galveston property owner, said he agreed with the congressman nearly across the board.
“People should be individually responsible for what they do,” Gray said.
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency moved in after Hurricane Ike, the agency was able to help residents, but people quickly began expecting it to do too much, he said.
“It’s up to us now,” Gray said.
Not all residents agreed.
“An individual or family who runs into problems cannot depend on neighbors, churches or charities,” Helen Chaplin, a West End property owner said.
Chaplin agrees with Paul’s views on foreign policy and the economic situation but said the government has a real responsibility to help people.
Paul said: “I know you come from being very good hearted, and I sound like a cruel person, but the truth is there is going to be a lot less need in the world if you have the market system, property, incentives and all that.”
He said it wouldn’t be a perfect world but, in his opinion, the nation would fare better.
“I am absolutely convinced that the humanitarian approach, if you care about other people, is that you have to believe in freedom,” he said.
The congressman said the greatest prosperity and the best distribution of wealth have been in the free-market system. He said he hoped the “spirit of our families, churches and our communities wouldn’t allow people to suffer.”
“I don’t think they really did in the past,” he said. “There was a collectivism that was voluntary; the communities came together, but now it’s sort of the opposite.”
The congressman said he wants the country to cut a lot of money from overseas spending. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other tensions will inevitably catch up to the U.S., he said.
“There’s no money,” Paul said. “It’s all a facade, and if you keep doing it, the next crisis will be the loss of confidence in the dollar.”
Although he votes against spending bills, he said that doesn’t mean he will forfeit a chance to find funding for his constituents. He said he serves as a representative of his people, and if there is money available after a bill passes, he “will work harder than anybody else to get it here.”
