Paul proposes cutting $1 trillion in first year
Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is proposing to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget in his first year in office and eliminate five cabinet level federal departments, if elected president.
The longtime congressman from Texas unveiled his proposals Monday as part his "Plan to Restore America," which also pledges to balance the budget over three years, and slashes regulations and taxes.
Programming note: GOP presidential candidates next face off at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, October 18, in the CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada. Submit your questions for the debate here.
"A lot of people will say, well, cutting a trillion dollars in one year, that sounds radical. But I have been under the assumption that the radicals have been in charge way too long," Paul told a receptive audience at a campaign event at the Venetian Hotel and Sands Expo and Convention Center, site of Tuesday's CNN Western Republican presidential debate.
Paul proposed eliminating the departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Interior, and Education, as well as abolishing the Transportation Security Administration and returning responsibility for security to private property owners. Paul also called for reducing the federal workforce by 10%, slashing Congressional pay and perks, and curb what he called excessive federal travel.
"In many of the departments that we cut, there are some important places there that we just don't close down. Many of those important parts of each of those departments will be held in another department. So nobody gets laid off immediately, they get laid off through attrition," Paul said.
Paul's proposals also call for abolishing corporate subsidies, stopping foreign aid, ending foreign wars, and returning most other spending to 2006 levels. In an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room", Paul told anchor Wolf Blitzer that he will cut $200 billion from military spending in his first year, if elected, and "over a period of time, drastically lower."
"I don't cut anything from defense. I cut from the military. There's a big difference," added Paul. "We need a stronger national defense, not a weaker one. Just spending money doesn't necessarily help us."
Paul is also pledging that, if elected, he would take a salary of $39,336, approximately equal to the median personal income of the American worker. Paul is proposing to lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, extend all Bush-era tax cuts, abolish the so-called "death tax," and end taxes on personal savings.
According to his plan, Paul would also repeal two major pieces of legislation passed under Pres. Barack Obama, the president's health care reform law, known by Republicans as "ObamaCare," and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.
Paul, who's making his third bid for the White House, places third or fourth in most recent national polling in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
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You forgot to mention that he wants to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Both Ron Paul, and his son Rand, feel that laws that prohibit bias and racism are an unconstitutional retriction on your freedom of speech. If a business wants to turn away all people of a certain race, then that business has a right to do that. The Civil Rights Act prohibits that practice. It stands in Dr. Paul's way for his ideal libertarian society.
*gasp* an actual plan from a nominee ? With specifics !? Doesn't that say something about Ron Paul ? It looks like he will hit the ground running if elected and actually cut spending !
This is what we need, folks !
A politician presenting a balanced budget, peaceful foreign policy, sound money, low taxes, states rights, and a reduction of the presidential salary?
This guy's DEFINITELY a nut job. Can't elect him. -_______-
Jose fantastic quote.
I love seeing the fear from the liberals who think the world will end if mommy government doesn't deliver their electricity and educate their children. Sadly, many conservatives have fallen for this fear and don't even support measures that cut the rate of growth of (unsustainable, by the way) government. Why not actually cut? Why not end the war(s)? Why not defend this country instead of the world (duh, that doesn't work anyway.) Many of you point out that congress wouldn't enact most of this agenda–well then, what are you afraid of? He would bring the troops home and he would stop corporatism (bailouts). Go, Ron Paul! BlackThisOut
This is the only serious plan I have seen so far. Trimming around the edges is not going to balance our budget. Ron Paul is the only candidate that looks our for country before self. Ron Paul 2012.
While I like Dr Paul, in this case I cannot agree with his tactic, the idea that we need to deregulate Wall Street will somehow improve our situation is contray to the reality we've seen recently. Unregulate capitalism is a corrupting agent to everything it touchs, because it is motivated solely by greed, which is one of the roots of all evils. Failure to recognize this by any presidential hopeful, places this country in greater danger, we must acknowledge that greed is NOT good, enlighten self-interest, yes, but greed never. Also, something needs to be done about the insurance/medicare industries, whether we transition to a single payer system, or some other subsidized or highly regulated oversight. HOWEVER THING NUMBER ONE TO GET DONE IS TO GET RID OF BIG MONEY POLITICS that should be the focus of any adminstration that takes the reign of power.
the things Congressman Paul is spouting today, he spouted 30 years ago, he couldn't get the votes then, and he won't be able to get the votes now, neither will Cain, If Congressman Paul was correct 30 yrs ago, then Jimmy Carter and his infamous malaise speech was also correct, google it for yourself.
Paul talks a good talk, but he's nothing more than Obama, making false promises that aren't possible. He's doing nothing more than the same republican trick that makes all these departments he wants to end...........Privatized, smoke and mirrors for his dream eutopia for a country that we all long for, but that isn't in reality of the century we live in.
He IS the ANTI-BIG MONEY CANDIADTE! Jump aboard 99%!
Very sad when someone proposes something as modest as bringing Federal departments spending to 2006 levels and they are labeled as extreme.
The people who support a $1.5 trillion dollar deficit per year are the absolute most extreme members of our society.
I think it is interesting Ron Paul attracts so much hate (whether by liberals or false conservatives). If those who speak nothing but fallacy and harsh language for no reason are not paid, God help us.
Ron Paul really is America's only hope. All of you voting for the pat 50 years have done so in vain as it didn't matter. Now when the time comes when there is a candidate that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest of our founding fathers would be proud of, the American people turn into fools and elect more of the same.
Interesting that no one remembers their history. They have wooden planks in their eyes.
common sense wrote:
When you are under a debt of $10,000, you don't go around and stimulate yourself with more debt but rather work hard to pay off the debt.
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No, you don't. And you don't go to your boss and demand a draconian pay cut, either.
Seems Mr. Paul and Mr. Cain have the right ideas to get this country back on track.
I'm a registered Democrat – and If he the one who gets the nomination for the Republicans, then I (among other dems) will VOTE for Ron Paul. All of the others are Just looking out for theirselves, not to mention that they are all far too right winged !
The best plan yet. Paul will end all foreign wars. This is real change!
Ron Paul 2012!
I can't say how wonderful it is for freedom-lovers watching the shills and Stockholm Syndrome sufferers panicking.
Get used to Liberty, you fools, it's coming one way or another.
He almost had me until he slipped in the infamous privitization word, that tells me what he's really about, to tell us all what we want to hear based on things he alone cannot do and cannot get the votes for. We have signed treaties with these countries our bases are in, South Korea, Germany, Italy, etc. Close them and allow Iran to have nukes and we are all the way over here......yeah right, this guy is a fraud.
Paul Rawson wrote:
I think it is interesting Ron Paul attracts so much hate
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Dr. Paul does not attract hateful comments. The angriest of the comments posted here so far actually seem to support and endorse Dr. Paul. So, maybe you're correct about him attracting hateful comments. BTW, Dr. Paul does quietly promote, and approve of, bigotry and racism.
So he wants to increase unemployment by cutting 10% of the federal workforce. He wants to slash congressional pay like he'll get them to vote for that. Where is he taking money out of the political process and putting it back in the hands of the electorate? Lower corporate tax rate, gee where have I heard that one before? I have a better idea, lets all just start our on militia's and fend for ourselves. I mean really, we don't need any education in this country or security at our airports because no one is trying to harm us. Lets get rid of the department of energy and just let Exxon and Mobile and BP and all the rest just do whatever they want, because I'm sure they'll have the peoples best interest at heart. This is a joke right, like Herman Cain's electrocute them joke?
Your state gov't will still be available to hold your hand and wipe your nose. Personal responsibility...if people want to build their homes on the beach, waterways or flood zones, federal taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for their choices. We're actually moving to the Texas Gulf Coast in three weeks...I will buy flood insurance and evacuate when my local and state gov't advises me to...that's my choice. I could also choose to suck up federal handouts when you vote for anyone else but Ron Paul while you are stuck in the suburbs...I won't though because I take personal responsibility for my choices.
The people who support Ron Paul seem to think that he has a wand and the minute he is elected president, all the mess will go away. Ron Paul wants to do away with regulations, cut 1 trillion dollars...blah blah blah, and there will be no impact when he does, just "poof" and it's all better. The GOP and Ron Paul are dreaming. Ron Paul thinks he will bring on his utopian society within a few months of his becoming president. That would only happen in a unilateral economy. The world's economies are tied together, and there will always be an impact. Ron Paul is selling something that has no chance of really working–and his GOP/Tea Party tea drinkers are guzzling this stuff down without even thinking about it.
No thanks, Ron Paul, I don't want a dreamer, I want a president firmly rooted in reality.
Ron Paul says that if were elected President he would slash 1 trilion dollars, well that has been said before. If everyone remembers that Obama said the he would cut the deficit in half in his frist term as President. Well it's coming to the end of his frist term and the deficit has not been cut in half as a matter of fact it has increased. So I don't put much stock in what Ron Pauls says that he would cut a trillin dollars if the were President. For a guy who is congressman he hasn't learned how Washington works yet.
Well, how does he propose that those that need help get it? Where is the charity that is going to help those in need? The problem is that most charities don't cover the whole country and don't have the resources to cover everything. That is the problem. The other is that the Dept. of Energy has spurred investment in solar and other technologies that have kept us from importing more oil.
Ron Paul is an anarchist of the highest order, and arguably the most senile, dangerous individual ever running for President. Anybody that supports this nut is crazier than him.
You are the man!!!!!!!!!!!