Anti-gun Bills Facing Heavy Opposition

Bills Facing Heavy Grassroots Opposition
— Your activism peels six Reps. off stealth gun control bill!

You guys have done a great job in recent weeks. The following is a report on two of the issues that Gun Owners of America has alerted you to, and the resulting progress that we have made together:

1. Supporters of Gun Control Education Bill are Losing Ground.

Not too long ago, GOA alerted you to a dangerous education bill (H.R. 1078) that was on a “fast track” to George Bush’s desk. This bill would set up so-called Presidential Academies to train educators in history and civics, with no safeguards that the education would steer clear of the existing anti-gun propaganda that is ALREADY PREVALENT in the public schools.

We are pleased to report that because of your activism, six cosponsors of H.R. 1078 have removed their names from the bill:

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)

You should not underestimate how significant these defections are. Congressmen RARELY remove their names from a bill. The fact that not just one — but six — would jump off the bill is evidence of the immense grassroots pressure. You should take a moment to pat yourselves on the back.

These defectors should also be commended for doing the right thing. It is encouraging to see that there are representatives in Congress who are humble enough to admit when they’ve made a mistake. Let them know you appreciate their bold step.

Now, there is good and bad news on this front. The good news is that your overwhelming opposition to the bill — and the resulting hemorrhage that has ensued — has slowed down the bill’s progress. Supporters wanted the President to sign the bill over a month ago. The bill seemed to be sailing along, even garnering a unanimous approval in the Senate. But your opposition has put Representatives on notice that there are serious problems with the bill.

The bad news is that the President is still demanding that Congress send him the bill. And that is why it is imperative that you contact the White House if you have not already done so. (Please see the Action paragraph below.)

2. Schumer-McCarthy Bills Not Getting the Expected Support.

On another front, GOA recently alerted you to the Schumer-McCarthy legislation (H.R. 3237 and S. 1706) — two bills that would sacrifice more of our privacy and deny even more good Americans their right to keep and bear arms.

As we reported in our most recent alert, this legislation has the potential to dupe many pro-gunners into cosponsoring the bill. Already, there is one NRA Director (and one former Director) cosponsoring the bill. And a few other “moderately” pro-gun Congressmen have cosponsored the bill as well.

But, there have been relatively few good guys to sign on to the bill so far, AND THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO YOUR HARD WORK AND ACTIVISM. Of the 56 Representatives and 7 Senators that have cosponsored the two bills, only seven have GOA ratings between an “A” and “C.”

They are:

A- Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA)
C- Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL)
C- Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL)
B- Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN)
C- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
B Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
C- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

It would be helpful for these legislators to hear from their constituents.

1. ACTION on the Anti-gun Education Bill (H.R. 1078)

A. Make sure you’ve asked President Bush to oppose the bill. You can contact him by visiting the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send him a pre-written e-mail message.

B. If your congressman is one of the six (listed above) who has removed his name from H.R. 1078, please be sure to thank him or her.

2. ACTION on the Schumer-McCarthy Bills (H.R. 3237 and S. 1706)

You can reference our previous alert (see http://www.gunowners.org/a093003.htm) to read a more in-depth analysis of this legislation, and to find prewritten text to send to your congressmen. You can also use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send them a pre-written e-mail in opposition to this gun control bill.

****************************

What happens when self-defense is against the law?

In just 58 minutes, “Innocents Betrayed” opens eyes, shatters myths, changes minds — and can save lives. This is a must-see, must-share film. Including footage supplied by GOA, it’s the factual counterpoint to Michael Moore’s infamous “Bowling for Columbine.”

This fast-moving, made-for-TV documentary from JPFO shows how victim disarmament policies led to:

* Genocide in Russia, China, Germany, Cambodia, Uganda, Rwanda and more — up to 170,000,000 lives destroyed.

* Persecution, mass murder, slavery, and terrorist attacks in the United States.

For a limited time, you can get free shipping plus three Freedom booklets with each order — and a portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting GOA.