09/95 Istook Amendment Update

Stop Welfare for Anti-gun Lobbyists
Calls needed to counter barrage from the “other side”

by Gun Owners of America

(Tuesday, September 19) — GOA’s most recent posting alerted you to Congressional efforts to cut off anti-gun lobbyists from the public dole. The Istook amendment — which would end all federal dollars from going to lobbyists — passed the House and is now pending in the conference committee on H.R. 2020 (Treasury-Postal Appropriation).

The conferees have still not decided the issue, and thus, the Istook amendment could now be decided in the next 24 to 48 hours — or even later on tonight. Lobbyists who face losing your tax dollars are now generating calls into the Congress. The following four offices need to be called immediately:

* Call Sen. Majority Leader Bob Dole’s office and ask him to use his position as Majority Leader to influence Sen. Jeffords (R) to support the Istook amendment. (Sen. Jeffords is a member of the conference committee who is currently opposing the Istook amendment.) Call Sen. Dole at 202-224-6521.

* Call House Speaker Newt Gingrich (phone: 202-225-4501) and the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Bob Livingston (phone: 202-225-3015), and ask them to instruct the House conferees to insist on the Istook amendment. In other words, House conferees should be asked to not agree to a final version of the Treasury/Postal Appropriations bill (H.R. 2020) if it does not have the Istook amendment in it.

* Call Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT) and urge him not to thwart the majority will by killing the Istook amendment — phone: 202-224-5141.

Note: One can call any of the above members by dialing 1-800-962-3524 or 1-800-872-8513.