(Thursday, December 14) — Sources on Capitol Hill informed GOA yesterday that a vote on the House terror bill (H.R. 2703) is set for this coming Monday. While this date could be subject to change, it is imperative that we bombard our Representatives with phone calls and faxes. They need to know the American people do not want ANY legislation that makes a “mad bombing run” on the Bill of Rights. Earlier this week, we outlined several problems with the bill. In brief, the bill:

a. Punishes individuals for selling a gun to someone who they ‘should have known’ was illegally going to use, or threaten to use, the firearm — a change from the current standard where the seller must “know” the gun will be used in a crime; b. Orders a study of certain ammunition, and is thus, a first step toward getting an ammunition ban in place; c. Limits the right of gun owners to appeal previous court decisions — even where evidence was destroyed or suppressed by prosecutors, or where gun owners were afflicted with inadequate legal counsel; d. Allows officers to illegally wiretap your home, as long as it is done in “good faith;” e. Gives the FBI enhanced authority to obtain personal information about you without any evidence that you might be involved in criminal activity; f. Allows the government to use ‘secret evidence’ against aliens — a terrible precedent which could one day be used against gun owners, preventing them from seeing the specific evidence being used against them, from cross-examining the witnesses who are accusing them, etc.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

* Call your Representatives (1-800-962-3524, 1-800-872-8513) and urge them to vote against the House terror bill (H.R. 2703). Tell them this bill does more to terrorize law-abiding citizens than it does to affect criminals. (After all, criminals don’t obey the laws!) Make sure they realize that you, your friends and your family are not willing to sacrifice individual liberties in the name of stopping terrorism — something which is NOT a problem in this country and something which this bill would not stop anyway.

* Please distribute this alert to your phone/fax trees, gun clubs, etc.

P.S. Capitol Hill sources tell GOA that a vote to repeal the semi-auto ban may come sometime next week — perhaps mid- to late week. It is unclear which bill will be considered (H.R. 1488, H.R. 464 or H.R. 698). Nevertheless, it seems that your earlier work has paid off — that is, rumor has it the vote will be on a clean repeal bill (no BATF enhancement provisions, etc.). Stay tuned for further details.