Congressman Ron Paul, an advisory board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, announced last night that he will be named Chairman of the Monetary Policy Subcommittee in Congress.

According to Paul, “The chairman of the financial services subcommittee, Spencer Bachus (R-AL), has told me today verbally that I will be the chairman of that subcommittee. He was the one who appointed me as the ranking member and he is sticking to his guns and that I will have responsibility of that committee.”

When asked about subpoenas and an audit of the Fed, Paul went on to say that he can issue subpoenas but would need agreement from the chairman as well as speaker.

Watch the clip from Judge Napolitano’s program at the FoxBusiness website.

The Republican Liberty Caucus gathered a coalition of supporters in a letter that was sent out earlier this week in support of Dr. Paul leading the subcommittee. The letter included former New Mexico Governor and Our America Initiative Chairman Gary Johnson.

With 2009 Liberty Index top scorer U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) being added to the Appropriations Committee earlier in the week, it has been a very good week for constitutionalists in Congress — even with some other very disappointing choices to lead other committees.

As opposition mounts to the Transportation Security Administration’s new intrusive pat-down and naked body scanner interrogations for America’s airline travelers, courageous RLC-endorsed legislators are fighting back.

In the past three days, legislation has been introduced by two RLC-endorsed legislators at the federal level and in the state of New Jersey.

Yesterday, RLC Advisory Board member Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced H.R. 6416, The American Traveler Dignity Act. The legislation would specifically outlaw fondling or groping of private law-abiding airline travelers by federal employees.

Also yesterday, Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed Congressman Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee gave a factual overview of the assault on individual privacy and health risks of the naked body scanners:

And earlier this week, New Jersey Senate and House legislators introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the federal government to change TSA’s anti-liberty procedures. The coalition was led by Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed Senator Michael J. Doherty:

Stay tuned to the RLC blog for details on other legislative action items regarding the Transportation Security Administration’s invasive policies.

AUSTIN, TX — The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) denounces the recent changes in the airport passenger screening practices of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

RLC Chairman Dave Nalle said the intrusive nature of new TSA procedures draws attention to the fundamental flaws in the government’s strategy of attempting to address the threat of terrorism through increasingly draconian domestic security measures.

“In the name of public safety, government agencies have been given more and more power at great cost to our civil liberties and in violation of the Bill of Rights,” Nalle said.  “The emergence of an unaccountable state security apparatus in America is a reminder of Ben Franklin’s maxim that ‘they who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.’”

“The new TSA procedures of giving randomly selected passengers a choice between a full body, backscatter x-ray scan and an intrusive, hands-on body search are unacceptable,” Nalle contends.  “These searches are a clear violation of our 4th Amendment rights, because they are not reasonable and are carried out with no probable cause.”

“The increase in security at airports with more technology and more violation of the privacy rights of passengers cannot be justified on the basis of any increase in the threat of terrorism, because there has been no such increase,” Nalle explained.

The RLC believes that the level of power and authority granted to agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration is out of proportion to any actual threat against the American people.  Terrorism is not a significant threat on flights within the United States and basic security measures instituted immediately after 9/11 have been sufficient to deter any similar attacks since that time.

The Republican Liberty Caucus believes that the people of the United States have had enough and calls on the federal government to curb abuses by the TSA and other agencies.  We recommend putting control of passenger security in the hands of the airlines, which have a vested interest in making sure that flights are safe.  We also support the passage of Representative Ron Paul’s “American Traveler Dignity Act” (H.R. 6416), which would make TSA employees accountable for their actions.

Nalle observed, “With the increasing level of government intrusion into our lives in the name of security, America reminds me too much of what I saw in the Soviet Union, where I lived as a teenager.  How long will it be before police will be stopping us in the street at random to ask for our identity papers?”

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Here is a very level-headed treatment of Dr. Rand Paul’s U.S. Senate victory:

We won’t tear down the gates of hell with this election. But if we’re lucky we just might be able to make the devil squirm.

Read the entire article here.

In my most recent article at the California Independent Voter Network, I explore how Ron Paul’s “failed” 2008 bid culminated in a 2010 electoral victory for his philosophy and growing political movement. It is so important to read and understand this! This is how electoral and political change happen in this country.

Also–it currently has 49 “likes” (at the bottom of the article, you can vote like or dislike) so people are loving the analysis. Please add your “like” to draw attention to this coverage of Ron Paul’s success.

Visit the article here.

With the Republican takeover of the U.S. House on Tuesday, there is some reason for advocates of limited government to be hopeful as the coalition of Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed legislators has grown.

Additionally, 57 House incumbents lost reelection — 53 on Tuesday and four others in their primary. The list of losing politicians includes 10 Democratic Congressmen who have served since at least 1992 and several who have been in office for more than twenty-five years.

In the below video, John Stossel and Congressman Ron Paul discuss prospects for the new Congress.

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) Board of Directors are excited and optimistic about the election results. The most exciting results for Republican Liberty Caucus members is electing two of our own members to Congress:

Dr. Rand Paul is Senator-elect from Kentucky. Justin Amash (pictured, right) is Representative-elect from Michigan’s Third Congressional District. Congratulations, Rand and Justin! RLC supporters have no doubt that these two champions of liberty will work vigorously to promote our vision of a free country in Congress.

The RLC is also pleased that Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, John Koster of Washington state, Chip Cravaack of Minnesota, and Steve Chabot of Ohio will join Dr. Ron Paul and our other pro-liberty Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joining Rand Paul in the Senate are RLC-endorsed Senate candidates Mike Lee of Utah and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Two RLC-endorsed candidates for Governor, Paul LePage of Maine and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, were elected. LePage and Haley come from very different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, but are united in their strong belief in the individual and faith in the free market system.

Other key RLC victories and races we are still watching are below.

Arkansas: State Rep. Mark Martin, a RLC endorsed candidate, won his bid for Secretary of State. He is the first statewide Republican elected official since former Gov. Mike Huckabee left office.

California: Despite losing on the RLC-endorsed Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana in California, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 27 (no to eliminate the state redistricting commission) and Prop. 21 (a vehicle license surcharge to fund state parks) were adopted. Additionally, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 20 and 26 were adopted. These propositions related to Congressional redistricting and the process to impose state/local fees. See the proposition results here and view the RLC’s positions on each of the proposals here.

Arizona: 55 percent of state voters supported an amendment to the state constitution disallowing the Obamacare individual mandate to take effect in Arizona. Voters also approved medical marijuana.

Colorado: Despite Ken Buck’s Senate loss, RLC-endorsed candidate Donald Beezley defeated an incumbent and is now an elected State Representative from Broomfield.

Idaho: RLC-endorsed candidate for Bonner County Commissioner in District 2, Mike Nielson, won election on a platform of transparency and balanced budgets. Nielsen said he was eager to start getting more detailed budget information on the county website and wants to get a head start on the 2012 spending plan, according to The Bonner County Daily Bee.

Indiana: Republican Liberty Caucus member Steve Davisson was elected State Representative in Southern Indiana’s 73rd district. Congratulations, Hoosiers!

Kentucky: In addition to Rand Paul’s victory, RLC-backed candidate Thomas Massie was elected Judge Executive in Lewis County.

Maine: In addition to the victory of Paul LePage for Governor, RLC candidates for State Rep. and State Senate also found success. State House Challengers Michael McClellan, Ryan Harmon, Richard Malaby, Beth O’Connor, and Eleanor Espling (pictured, above left) — each endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maine — won election. Additionally, former State Senator Lois Snowe-Mello won her old seat back and State Rep. Doug Thomas was elected to the State Senate. The RLC had a great day in Maine yesterday!

Maryland: Cindy Jones, a RLC member and delegate at our 2009 Convention in Florida, was elected to the St. Marys County Commission. Among all of the county commissioner races, Mrs. Jones had the largest margin of victory and the highest vote total. Four of the five Commission seats are now held by Republicans.

Michigan: RLC-endorsed candidate for State Senate Arlen Meekhof was elected to the post. Meekhof wants to repeal the Michigan Business Tax surcharge and bring jobs to the state.

Minnesota: Despite losing the Governors race narrowly, the RLC had its coalition of candidates elected to the State Senate and the State House. Kathy Lohmer (pictured, right), Andrea Kieffer, Doug Wardlow, Kurt Bills, and Sondra Erickson were elected to the House and Dave Brown and Dave Thompson were elected to the Senate. Former Minnesota RLC Secretary Norann Dillon narrowly lost in her race against an incumbent in a Democrat district. Congratulations to these new legislators and to the Minnesota RLC!

Missouri: In The Show Me State, RLC-endorsed candidate Paul Curtman was elected State Representative. He will represent parts of Jefferson, Franklin and St. Louis counties. Additionally, RLC-endorsed candidate Brian Nieves was elected to the State Senate. Two RLC-endorsed incumbent State Representatives, Tim Jones and Shane Schoeller, will be taking over leadership positions in the Missouri House of Representatives. The Missouri RLC is hosting its 2010 Convention on Saturday, November 13 in Springfield.

Montana: In Montana the RLC has an incumbent coalition in the State House and the entire slate of RLC-backed candidates was reelected. Additionally, former State Senator and longtime liberty advocate Jerry O’Neill was elected to the House of Representatives.

New Hampshire: Former Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire Chair Jim Forsythe was elected to the State Senate and State Rep. candidates Cameron DeJong and Andrew Manuse were elected to the State House. RLC Board member Paul Mirski was elected to the State House in Grafton as was former RLC Chair Dan McGuire in Merrimack. Longtime liberty activists Keith Murphy and Seth Cohn won election to the State House from Hillsborough and Merrimack, too. A full list of RLC victories from New Hampshire can be found here.

North Carolina: Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate Glen Bradley won election to the State House of Representatives. Congratulations to Glen and the North Carolina RLC!

Oklahoma: 65 percent of voters supported a ballot proposition to rebuke Obamacare by not allowing the individual mandate contained in the health care law to be enacted in the Sooner State.

South Carolina: RLC-backed candidate Curtis Loftis, who ousted the incumbent State Treasurer earlier this year in the primary, is now the State Treasurer-elect of The Palmetto State.

Uah: Two new RLC-endorsed candidates won election in Utah — Daniel Thatcher was elected to the State Senate and Ken Ivory won election to the State House. Ivory joins several other RLC incumbents in the House.

Texas: The Texas RLC helped elect two new State Representatives, Jason Isaac and David Simpson. Additionally, former Texas RLC Chairman Melissa Goodwin was elected Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson was re-elected State Land Commissioner. A full list of Texas results are available at our blog.

Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, a coalition of RLC-backed candidates for State House have won election for the first time. The slate includes: Andre Jacque from Green Bay, Jim Steineke from Appleton, Chris Kapenga from Delafield, Evan Wynn of Whitewater, Scott Krug of Black River Falls, Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac, and Roger Rivard of Rice Lake. Mr. Krug beat incumbent Marlin Schneider, who served in the legislature continuously since 1970. Congratulations to the Wisconsin RLC and Badger State voters!

Wyoming: Endorsed State Representative candidate Gerald Gay won election to the legislature for the first time.

These election results show not only the strength of the Tea Party, but also the disgust of average Americans with unresponsive, anti-liberty bureaucrats. The results also illustrate that liberty principles are popular and will make a comeback!

The battle has just begun, so thanks to all of our activists and candidates from across the country. Thanks especially to the state and national officers of the RLC who allow our organization to function.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots coalition of liberty-loving Americans.

Won’t you join us in this critical battle to win hearts and minds for liberty and Constitutional restoration?

AUSTIN, TX — In an election with extraordinarily high voter turnout, candidates endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus won an impressive number of victories. The Republican Liberty Caucus advocates constitutionally limited government, individual liberty and free enterprise. Our candidates represent those values and have a dedication to principle which makes them stand out as representatives of the best interests of the people whether serving in state or federal office.

Particularly notable in this election were the victories of two new Liberty Republican State representatives. Jason Isaac will be representing the people of Hays county and communities like Kyle and Buda in Texas House District 45. David Simpson will be representing Gregg County and part of Smith County, including the towns of Longview and Kilgore in District 7. They will be joining a much expanded Republican majority in the state legislature in a year when they well have vital business before of them, including balancing the state budget, dealing with threats from an overreaching federal government and redistricting. The RLC also endorsed four incumbent representatives with outstanding records: Randy Weber (District 29), Ken Paxton (District 70), Jodie Laubenberg (District 89) and Debbie Riddle (District 150). All won reelection by large margins.

In Austin, RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle observed, “Texas already has the most fiscally conservative delegation in the U.S. House and it looks like the Texas legislature is finally getting back on track as well. Isaac and Simpson will be joining a core group of Liberty Republican legislators who can take the lead in getting our state government under control and perhaps do something to address the abuses of government by the leftist elite in places like Travis County and Washington, DC.”

We’re also very pleased that RLC Advisory Board member Melissa Goodwin will be continuing her distinguished judicial career in a new and higher office as a Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. No one has worked harder this year or did more to earn the support of voters in a a such a large and diverse district. Fellow RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson also won reelection as Texas Land Commissioner.

Texas has the largest number of incumbent RLC endorsees serving in the U.S. House of Representatives of any state. All seven won reelection, including Louie Gohmert (HD1), Jeb Hensarling (HD5), Ron Paul (HD14), Kenny Marchant (HD24), Michael Burgess (HD26), John Carter (HD31) and Pete Sessions (HD32) — who are part of a contingent of more than 20 Liberty Republicans in the U.S. House in the next session.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is grateful to all of our endorsed candidates. We know that they will always to set an example for others to follow and continue to work to advance individual liberty and limit the excesses of government.

Republican Liberty Caucus Advisory Board member Dr. Ron Paul, who represents Lake Jackson/Victory in Texas in the U.S. House, is currently the ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology in Congress — a branch of the Financial Services Committee.

If Republicans win a majority in the House in today’s mid-term elections, presumably Paul would be in line to be the Subcommittee Chairman.

Will the Republican Party allow Congressman Paul, a critic of current monetary and the Federal Reserve, become the Chairman of a Subcommittee focused on monetary policy and the Fed?

Let’s hope so. There certainly is no one with his breadth experience on the issue.

On Monday the National Board of the Republican Liberty Caucus finalized its list of endorsements for state and national office in the Texas general election on November 2nd. The endorsements are based on recommendations from regional RLC chapters throughout the state and approved by the board of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas.

After reviewing the list, RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle observed that “Texas has produced a really outstanding selection of candidates who will be an important part of our effort to reform Congress and return federal and state government to a firm basis in the Constitution, fiscal responsibility and respect for individual liberty. Texas will lead the way to restoring the tradition of liberty in the GOP.”

The newly endorsed candidates include:

Federal:
Louie Gohmert (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 1
Sam Johnson (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 3
Jeb Hensarling (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 5
Clayton Trotter, U.S. House, District 20
Kenny Marchant (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 24
Dr. Michael Burgess (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 26
John Carter (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 31
Pete Sessions (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 32

Statewide:
Jerry Patterson (Incumbent), Agriculture Commissioner

State & Local:
Mary Lou Serafine, State Senate, District 14
Dick Bowen, State Senate, District 19
David Simpson, House of Representatives, District 7
Randy Weber, House of Representatives, District 29
Jason Isaac, House of Representatives, District 45
Ken Paxton (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 70
Jodie Laubenberg (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 89
Debbie Riddle (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 150

Previously endorsed RLC candidates in Texas include:

Dr. Ron Paul (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 14
Melissa Goodwin, Judge, Third District Court of Appeals
Mike Barré, Travis County Justice of the Peace, District 3
Grant Rostig, Caldwell County Commissioner, District 4

Congratulations to this slate of liberty-focused candidates.