Ron Paul’s Farewell Speech

When the 112th Congress comes to an end, it will also mark an end to the political career of Ron Paul, who represented the 22nd Congressional District in Texas from 1979 to 1985 (after serving a one term stint from 1976 to 1977) and the 14th Congressional District from 1997 through 2012. I’ve had made disagreements with Ron Paul over the years, specifically involving his ties to people like Lew Rockwell and the unfortunate history surrounding the newsletter he published during the years that he was absent from Congress. However, he’s also the first person I ever voted for as a Presidential candidate way back in 1988 when he was the Libertarian Parry’s candidate in 1988. Despite his faults, he was always a steadfast advocate for individual liberty and limited government at home, and a restrained foreign policy abroad, both of which are things I support wholeheartedly.

Thankfully, the fact that he’s leaving Congress doesn’t mean that the voice of liberty has been silenced on Capitol Hill. There are others who have already taken up the cause, such as Michigan Congressman Justin Amash, just elected to his second term last week, and, of course Senator Rand Paul. One can hope that their caucus becomes larger in the years to come.

Here’s Congressman Paul’s speech. It lasts nearly an hour, but it’s well worth listening to: