You Can Help Stop Gun Control In Its Tracks!

You Can Help Stop the Anti-gun Crime Bill in its Tracks!
— Ask your Senator to join Smith’s filibuster

(Friday, July 16, 1999) — You guys have done a great job in communicating your views to Senators Trent Lott and Orrin Hatch. They’re getting hounded with grassroots contacts. Please keep sending us your letters and the responses you receive from those offices. While we can’t respond to thank each of you individually, rest assured your letters enhance our lobbying efforts.

In the Senate, the “showdown” may occur quite soon. Earlier this month, Senator Lott was quoted as saying he was going to “push forward” with the juvenile injustice bill, even though Senator Bob Smith had placed a “hold” on this anti-gun bill. The Washington Times reported that Lott wants to “appoint Senate conferees despite Mr. Smith’s threat [to filibuster].” And just yesterday, Lott was again quoted as saying that he would try to appoint conferees as early as next week. This means there’s not much time to act.

As we stated in Tuesday’s alert, Senator Smith has placed a “hold” on the juvenile crime legislation– a “hold” being a parliamentary procedure that can indefinitely delay unconstitutional legislation if there are enough Senators who are willing to join the effort, thus forcing the leadership to honor the “hold.”

It is unclear at this time whether Senator Smith has anybody standing with him in this fight. But it is imperative that other senators join the “hold” which Smith has placed on the anti-gun crime legislation. If more senators join Sen. Smith, then the Republican leadership will be forced to bury this dangerous legislation.

All the Senators listed below voted AGAINST S. 254 in May. They are the most likely candidates to join Senator Bob Smith in holding up this anti-gun juvenile bill. If you are receiving this alert, at least one (but maybe both) of your Senators is on the list below.

ACTION: Please find your Senator(s) listed below and request that they join the Smith “hold” on the juvenile injustice bill (S. 254 and H.R. 1501). You can fax or e-mail the pre-written message below using the given contact info (there are intermittent problems with the Senate e-mail server; please keep trying until your mail is delivered). You can also call your Senators at 202-224-3121, or toll-free at 1-888-449-3511.

The area code for all fax numbers below is 202.

Brownback (KS) 228-1265 [email protected]
Bunning (KY) 228-1373 [email protected]
Burns (MT) 224-8594 [email protected]
Campbell (CO) 224-1933 no e-mail
Coverdell (GA) 228-3783 [email protected]
Craig (ID) 228-1067 e-mail from his website only
Crapo (ID) 228-1375 e-mail from his website only
Enzi (WY) 228-0359 [email protected]
Feingold (WI) 224-2725 [email protected]
Gorton (WA) 224-9393 e-mail from his website only
Gramm (TX) 228-2856 [email protected]
Grassley (IA) 224-6020 [email protected]
Gregg (NH) 224-4952 [email protected]
Helms (NC) 228-1339 [email protected]
Hutchinson (AR) 228-3973 [email protected]
Hutchison (TX) 224-0776 [email protected]
Inhofe (OK) 228-0380 [email protected]
Nickles (OK) 224-6008 [email protected]
Roberts (KS) 224-3514 [email protected]
Shelby (AL) 224-3416 [email protected]
Thomas (WY) 224-1724 [email protected]
Thompson (TN) 228-3679 [email protected]
Voinovich (OH) 228-1382 [email protected]
Wellstone (MN) 224-8438 [email protected]

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND STATUS: The Senate passed S. 254 in May, a bill replete with gun bans and gun owner registration. While the House defeated H.R. 2122 in June– a bill loaded with gun control– the House did pass another unconstitutional bill containing some gun control (H.R. 1501). This is the bill that House and Senate leaders want to “conference” together with S. 254. The “hold” placed by Senator Bob Smith (I-NH) has held up the appointment of conferees, however, and no action has been taken so far.

—————— Clip and send ——————–

Dear Senator,

Certainly you are aware by now that Senator Bob Smith has placed a hold on the appointment of conferees regarding the Juvenile InJustice legislation (S. 254 and H.R. 1501).

Your vote against S. 254 in May is appreciated. Now, in order to make certain that this horrible, anti-gun package does not reach the President’s desk, I urge you to go a step further. Please join Sen. Smith in his hold. And if that isn’t enough to stop the Majority Leader from eroding my rights by pushing more gun control through Congress, I understand there is the possibility of a filibuster. Standing tall for principle and aiding such a filibuster would show me– and a vast number of gun-owning constituents– that you care about my Constitutional rights.

For the moment, however, please join Sen. Smith by signing your name to the hold.

A reply detailing your intentions is specifically requested.

Sincerely,