We’ve Won For Now On Terror Bill!

Great Job — We’ve Won for Now

(Monday, December 18) — As of 2:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) today, the House has decided to put off the vote on the government terror bill. Your phone calls were very important, as the pressure from inside and outside of Congress was mounting in opposition to the bill.

Representatives Henry Hyde (R-IL), Bob Barr (R-GA) and Bill McCollum (R-FL) had introduced a new government terror bill (H.R. 2768) and had hoped to substitute it in place of the existing bill. H.R. 2768 has very insignificant changes, and similar to previous terror bills, punishes certain sellers of firearms, orders a study on whether to ban even more “cop-killer” bullets (much ordinary hunting and rifle ammo could become suspect), allows FBI “fishing expeditions,” permits illegal wiretaps done in “good faith,” allows the use of secret evidence, limits the right of gun owners to appeal bad court decisions, etc. Be assured that the leadership will still try to pass the bill in the future. Please stay tuned for further developments.

Vote to repeal semi-auto ban? Reports on Capitol Hill continue to circulate about a vote to repeal the ban on semi-automatic firearms and to lift the limitation on magazine capacity. While nothing has been set in stone, we’ll let you know as soon as something develops.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

* Ask your Representative (1-800-962-3524, 1-800-872-8513) to support a clean repeal of the semi-auto ban. That is, we don’t need a bill that also federalizes state gun crimes and thus enhances the BATF’s authority (Sec. 3 of H.R. 1488), nor do we need to ask U.S. district attorneys to begin a drive for more gun control by requiring them to frequently report to Janet Reno on the number of people charged with gun crimes, including the number of paperwork violations (Sec. 7 of H.R. 1488).

* You can send a Western Union mailgram opposing the terror bill to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Bob Barr (co-author of the bill) and to your Representative (1-800-651-1GUN or 1486). Your phone bill will be charged for $8.95. (If your phone company does not participate with the Regional Bell Operating Companies — 10% of the phone companies do not — you will be charged or billed.)