Thursday, June 10, 1999

House To Take Up Gun Control Next Week

Voting on juvenile crime legislation will probably begin next week. There will be gun control amendments offered on the floor of the House, and many of these provisions will probably parallel the gun issues that were considered in the Senate (background registration checks, import bans on self-defense magazines, liability on gun owners who don’t lock up their guns, etc.).

The House Republican leadership is supporting a proposal that, among other things, will impose background registration checks on those buying guns from PRIVATE individuals at gun shows. Gun owners should begin calling their Representatives and urge them to vote “NO” on all gun control– including any Gun Control “Lite” provisions that are sponsored by Republicans. [Activists can now get an exact copy of the juvenile crime bill (S. 254) that passed in the Senate at http://www.gunowners.org/gts254.htm on the GOA website.]

Republicans Getting Hammered On Capitol Hill

Irate gun owners from across the country are deluging Republicans with correspondence, both at the Republican National Committee and on Capitol Hill. Reports have indicated that the RNC has been “besieged” with mail, as “several boxes” of faxes, emails and letters have been unloaded upon their offices. House Speaker Denny Hastert’s office has admitted to receiving a thousand calls a day from angry gun owners.

In what could be an attempt to counteract this grassroots response, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), released a poll recently supposedly showing that 80% of Republicans favor stricter gun controls, such as those which passed in the Senate juvenile crime bill. This ignores the fact that truly honest polls– such as those conducted by the Denver Rocky Mountain News (5/20/99)– have found that 65% of people want less gun control, like easier concealed carry.

“Should people ought to have to register a gun like they register their cars? Do I think that? Of course I do. Of course I do.” — President Bill Clinton, June 4, 1999

Democrats Pushing For More Gun Control

Even before the House of Representatives has had a chance to vote on the juvenile crime bill, top-ranking Democrats in Congress and in the White House are predicting that the current batch of gun control provisions will be followed by more stringent proposals. For example, on June 4, President Clinton stated on ABC’s Good Morning America that:

The current gun control proposals in Congress are mere stepping stones to Clinton’s next goal. He has openly stated he wants to move towards full-fledged gun owner registration. Gun owners should not fall for Congressional promises that once this anti-gun crime bill is finished with, they will get the whole gun control debate “behind them.” Not true. If the current gun restrictions in Congress become law, we will see an immediate move towards even stricter proposals. The time to stop the hemorrhaging is now. Make sure your Congressman hears from you.

ACTION: If you have not done so already, please contact your Representative and ask him to oppose Gun Control “Heavy” (from the Democratic side of the aisle) and to oppose Gun Control “Lite” (from the Republicans). Moreover, Representatives should be encouraged to vote “NO” on the final passage of any juvenile bill that contains even the least 2nd Amendment infringement.

Call the House at 202-225-3121 or toll free at 1-888-449-3511. The address for all Representatives is: [Name of Rep.], U.S. House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515. See http://www.gunowners.org/h106th.htm for fax and e-mail contact info.