Washington, Jan 7 – Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) is hoping to fill the political shoes of retired Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) — especially when it comes to being a constant thorn in the side of the Federal Reserve. In one of his first actions of the 113th Congress, Broun introduced what has become a legislative mainstay in Congress — a bill to authorize a top-to-bottom audit of the nation’s central bank.
For years, the megaphone for Fed-bashing legislation had been carried by Paul, who built his dark horse presidential candidacies in large part on his harsh critique of the nation’s monetary policy.
But with Paul’s recent retirement, Broun is aiming to pick up where the former Texas lawmaker left off.
“I applaud Congressman Paul’s efforts. He was fighting for liberty,” Broun told The Hill Friday.
“I’m just going to stand on his shoulders and go forward in that same fight.”
In a release touting the bill, Broun’s office specifically notes that his legislation is identical to the version Paul championed in the 112th Congress.
“My plan is to pick up right where Congressman Paul left off,” he said upon unveiling the bill, which is being circulated for cosponsors.
Broun, who has served in the House since 2007, is one of the most conservative members of Congress. He considers himself a strict adherent to the Constitution and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus in the 112th Congress.
Along with the bills targeting the Fed, Broun has also already introduced legislation that would recognize human life as beginning at fertilization, and revoke the United States’s membership in the United Nations.
