Good News Times Two: House/Senate

 

Vitter Amendment Becomes Law, McCarthy Gun Grab Is Dead
— Thanks for all your hard work!

—– “Oh s—! We got a lot of postcards and e-mails from GOA members.” — As stated by a Congressional office to GOA —–

Thanks to your hard work, gun rights have taken two steps forward in recent days.

The quote above shows the reaction from one Congressional office in response to the number of postcards and e-mails that GOA members sent in response to the McCarthy gun grab (HR 1415).

GOA members let their Representatives know they didn’t want an expansion of the Brady Law, and the activism paid off handsomely. The bill is dead for now.

But first, there is the Vitter-Jindal Emergency Protection legislation that we asked you to support in July.

EMERGENCY PROTECTION MEANS NO MORE GUN CONFISCATION

You will remember that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina last year, federal and local police stole firearms from New Orleans residents in the name of “keeping the people safe.” To combat this, GOA has worked this year in several states (including Louisiana) to specifically outlaw this type of activity.

GOA also worked for the enactment of this legislation at the federal level, and in July, the Emergency Protection language overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress.

After the Senate vote, one office told GOA: “They [the Senators] obviously got your message loud and clear. It was the most lopsided gun vote I have ever seen.”

The vote was lopsided… and it was significant as well. The Emergency Protection language makes it illegal for federal agents to confiscate firearms during an emergency or major disaster.

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) thanked GOA for its efforts in pushing his amendment. The GOA effort “was a huge help, and it was very effective,” Vitter said. “I look forward to working on many other issues with GOA.”

The Vitter-Jindal amendment is now on the President’s desk — as part of the Homeland Security appropriations bill — where it awaits his almost certain signature.

BRADY EXPANSION IS DEAD

Then there was the defeat of the McCarthy gun grab. This was an uphill task, as early on, the bill was expected to easily pass the House of Representatives.

But GOA members and activists overwhelmingly responded to our internet and postal alerts over the August recess, resulting in untold thousands of postcards and e-mails being dumped on legislators’ desks.

The resulting tidal wave of grassroots opposition has buried this bill as legislative offices on Capitol Hill have told GOA, “We’ve heard your postcards and e-mails loud and clear!”

It’s a good thing those postcards and e-mails were sent by you, too, because GOA was the only Second Amendment group in Washington opposing McCarthy’s attack.

The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on HR 1415 earlier last month. At that time, the committee reported two firearms-related bills to the floor of the House — but they specifically passed over the McCarthy bill (even though it was scheduled to come up for a vote).

Gun Owners of America opposed the McCarthy bill, as it would spend nearly $1 billion dollars to further prop up the unconstitutional Brady Law. Of the 35 cosponsors, 34 are rated “F” on GOA’s scorecard… the remaining one is rated “D.”

What has been surprising is how close this bill has come to being passed under congressional leadership that claims to be pro-gun. It already passed the House once, in October of 2002, but was killed in the senate when GOA teamed up with former Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) to block the bill.

Thanks again for all your hard work. You have reminded the Congressional leadership that they should leave the McCarthy gun ban alone and that it’s “good politics” to pass pro-gun amendments like the Vitter-Jindal bill.

Thank you!

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GOA IN THE MEDIA

GOA spokesmen have already started addressing the recent school shootings in the media. GOA also encourages its members to write letters to the editor making the following points:

1. No amount of gun control would have stopped Charles Carl Roberts from acquiring guns to commit his atrocity. Roberts had a clean record and would have passed any and every background check.

2. So-called “gun free zones” (such as school zones) never stop bad guys from taking guns into a restricted area. In fact, statistics show that the jurisdictions that ban guns tend to be the same areas with the highest murder or crime rates (Washington, D.C., England, etc.).

3. The only school shootings that have been stopped prematurely were ended because law-abiding citizens had guns — such as in Pearl Mississippi (1997) and at the Appalachian School of Law (2002), where faculty and students were able to bring their own defensive firearms to bear. For this reason, 85% of the American public find it appropriate for a principal or teacher to use “a gun at school to defend the lives of students” to stop a school massacre (Research 2000 Poll).

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If You’re Not Yet A GOA Member, Is It Time You Became One?

The ability of GOA to continue putting pressure on politicians depends on loyal activists like yourself. We want to keep sending you these e-mails for free, but it does cost us to continue providing them.

Are you unsure if you’re a member? If you’re not getting our newsletter, The Gun Owners, then that’s a good sign that you’re not a member.

Consider the benefits that paid-up GOA members get:

* A no-compromise voice in Washington, D.C.

* A Congressional rating — mailed before the election — listing the grade of every major candidate for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives

* Pre-written letters and postcards to help you lobby your Congressmen

* Experienced spokesmen to defend your rights in the media

* In-depth research and analysis

* Valuable discounts which are only presented to GOA members

So, please become a GOA member today! Join GOA today online at http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm or call 703-321-8585.

U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas says, “Your membership in Gun Owners makes a difference on Capitol Hill every single day…. I know that GOA will continue to be the ‘no compromise’ leader in defending America’s gun rights and personal freedoms.”

When you join forces with GOA, you will become part of the toughest, no-compromise group in the nation’s capital. Just ask Rep. John Hostettler, Republican Congressman from Indiana:

“Gun Owners of America is the pit bull of the Second Amendment. They are relentless and never give any ground whatsoever to the gun grabbers.”