Senator Bob Smith Blocking Anti-gun Crime Bill
-- But Trent Lott threatens to 'roll' Smith
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org
(Tuesday, July 13, 1999) -- The Senate is looking more like the OK
Corral than a country club these days. Normally, the Senate has
earned its "country club" reputation as members address each other
cordially and refrain from disturbing the progress of business in
that house. But a cross-fire has ensued over the anti-gun juvenile
bill that was hastily passed in the wake of the Colorado tragedy.
The newspaper headlines from the nation's capital don't even begin
to capture the rising temperature levels in the Senate. But they do
indicate that the battle lines are forming between the truly pro-gun
champions (led by Bob Smith of New Hampshire) and the gun
compromisers (led by Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and
Orrin Hatch of Utah):
* The Good News: "Gun Bill Blocked by Smith... Vows Filibuster
on Juvenile Justice Conference" -- Roll Call, 7/1/99;
* The Bad News: "Lott hopes to free up 'gun bill'" -- The
Washington Times, 7/3/99
Senators Lott and Hatch are avidly working to send the anti-gun
crime bill (S. 254) to President Clinton. But thankfully, Senator
Bob Smith (NH) is using every parliamentary maneuver imaginable to
keep Clinton's anti-gun crime bill bottled up. Smith has placed a
"hold" on the juvenile crime legislation. A "hold" is a
parliamentary procedure that can indefinitely delay unconstitutional
legislation-- as long as the leadership is willing to honor the
"hold."
And there's the problem: the "hold" works as long as the leadership
is willing to honor it. Both Lott and Hatch voted for S. 254 in
May, even though the bill was replete with gun bans and gun owner
registration. Thus, it is imperative that gun owners let the
Republican leadership know they don't want S. 254 to continue
advancing through the legislative process.
ACTION ITEMS (while there are several, please do what you can):
1. Send a note of encouragement to Sen. Bob Smith (NH). For now, he
is standing alone and coming under tremendous pressure from
Republicans, Democrats and the media. HOWEVER, PLEASE DO NOT CALL
HIS OFFICE AND TIE UP HIS STAFF! The best way gun owners across the
nation can encourage him, without hampering his staff (who may be
preparing for a prolonged filibuster) is to simply send him a brief
note of thanks for standing up for gun owners and the 2nd Amendment.
You can reach him at:
Hon. Bob Smith
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: 202-224-1353
E-mail: opinion@smith.senate.gov
2. Ask Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott not to push the anti-gun
crime bill forward. You can use the letter on the next page to mail
or fax Senator Lott , or (better yet) you can use the text of the
message below to phone in your complaint to his office. You can
contact Sen. Lott toll-free at 1-888-449-3511, or at:
Office Phone: 202-224-6253
Leadership Office Ph: 202-224-3135
Office Fax: 202-224-2262
Leadership Office Fax: 202-224-4639
E-mail: senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
3. Ask Sen. Orrin Hatch not to push the anti-gun crime bill forward.
As with Sen. Lott above, you can use the letter on the next page to
mail or fax Senator Hatch, or (better yet) you can use the text of
the message below to phone in your complaint to his office. Unlike
the Majority Leader, however, Sen. Hatch is a presidential
candidate, which means that no matter where you live, your opinion
is now very important to him. You can contact Sen. Hatch toll-free
at 1-888-449-3511, or at:
Office Phone: 202-224-5251
Judiciary Com. Office Ph: 202-224-5225
Office Fax: 202-224-6331
Judiciary Com. Fax: 202-224-9102
E-mail: senator_hatch@hatch.senate.gov
------------------- Clip-n-Send ---------------------
Dear Sen. Lott,
I was disappointed to see that you voted for the anti-gun juvenile
injustice bill (S. 254) in May. All the gun control proposals that
you voted for will do NOTHING to stop crime.
More than 19 gun laws didn't stop the two killers in Littleton,
Colorado. And I am willing to bet that passing more gun control is
not going to make a difference either.
Furthermore, the clear language of the 2nd Amendment says the right
to keep and arms "shall not be infringed." Every piece of gun
control that you voted for is an infringement!
I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to undo the damage
you've already done. Please use your leadership position to make
sure that this anti-gun bill NEVER makes it to the President's desk.
Moreover, I hope that you will honor Senator Smith's hold. The
Washington Times (July 3, 1999) reports that you want to "appoint
Senate conferees despite Mr. Smith's threat [to filibuster]."
Senator Smith is, quite frankly, doing the job you should be doing.
You should be supporting him, not opposing him. The "hold" that
Smith has placed on this terrible legislation is exactly the kind of
leadership that I am asking you to provide.
I hope you will do everything in your power, as the Majority Leader
of the Senate, to bury this legislation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
------------------- Clip-n-Send ---------------------
Dear Sen. Hatch,
I was disappointed to see that you voted for the anti-gun juvenile
injustice bill (S. 254) in May. All the gun control proposals that
you voted for will do NOTHING to stop crime.
More than 19 gun laws didn't stop the two killers in Littleton,
Colorado. And I am willing to bet that passing more gun control is
not going to make a difference either.
Furthermore, the clear language of the 2nd Amendment says the right
to keep and arms "shall not be infringed." Every piece of gun
control that you voted for is an infringement!
I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to undo the damage
you've already done. Please use your leadership position to make
sure that this anti-gun bill NEVER makes it to the President's desk.
Moreover, I hope that you will honor Senator Smith's hold. The
Washington Times (July 3, 1999) reports that the Republican
leadership in the Senate wants to "appoint Senate conferees despite
Mr. Smith's threat [to filibuster]."
Senator Smith is, quite frankly, doing the job you should be doing.
You should be supporting him, not opposing him. The "hold" that
Smith has placed on this terrible legislation is exactly the kind of
leadership that I am asking you to provide.
I hope you will do everything in your power to bury this
legislation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
**************
Did someone else forward this to you? To be certain of getting up to
date information, please consider subscribing to the GOA E-Mail
Alert Network directly. There is no cost or obligation, and the
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either the subject or the body. To unsubscribe, reply to any alert
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-- But Trent Lott threatens to 'roll' Smith
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org
(Tuesday, July 13, 1999) -- The Senate is looking more like the OK
Corral than a country club these days. Normally, the Senate has
earned its "country club" reputation as members address each other
cordially and refrain from disturbing the progress of business in
that house. But a cross-fire has ensued over the anti-gun juvenile
bill that was hastily passed in the wake of the Colorado tragedy.
The newspaper headlines from the nation's capital don't even begin
to capture the rising temperature levels in the Senate. But they do
indicate that the battle lines are forming between the truly pro-gun
champions (led by Bob Smith of New Hampshire) and the gun
compromisers (led by Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and
Orrin Hatch of Utah):
* The Good News: "Gun Bill Blocked by Smith... Vows Filibuster
on Juvenile Justice Conference" -- Roll Call, 7/1/99;
* The Bad News: "Lott hopes to free up 'gun bill'" -- The
Washington Times, 7/3/99
Senators Lott and Hatch are avidly working to send the anti-gun
crime bill (S. 254) to President Clinton. But thankfully, Senator
Bob Smith (NH) is using every parliamentary maneuver imaginable to
keep Clinton's anti-gun crime bill bottled up. Smith has placed a
"hold" on the juvenile crime legislation. A "hold" is a
parliamentary procedure that can indefinitely delay unconstitutional
legislation-- as long as the leadership is willing to honor the
"hold."
And there's the problem: the "hold" works as long as the leadership
is willing to honor it. Both Lott and Hatch voted for S. 254 in
May, even though the bill was replete with gun bans and gun owner
registration. Thus, it is imperative that gun owners let the
Republican leadership know they don't want S. 254 to continue
advancing through the legislative process.
ACTION ITEMS (while there are several, please do what you can):
1. Send a note of encouragement to Sen. Bob Smith (NH). For now, he
is standing alone and coming under tremendous pressure from
Republicans, Democrats and the media. HOWEVER, PLEASE DO NOT CALL
HIS OFFICE AND TIE UP HIS STAFF! The best way gun owners across the
nation can encourage him, without hampering his staff (who may be
preparing for a prolonged filibuster) is to simply send him a brief
note of thanks for standing up for gun owners and the 2nd Amendment.
You can reach him at:
Hon. Bob Smith
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: 202-224-1353
E-mail: opinion@smith.senate.gov
2. Ask Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott not to push the anti-gun
crime bill forward. You can use the letter on the next page to mail
or fax Senator Lott , or (better yet) you can use the text of the
message below to phone in your complaint to his office. You can
contact Sen. Lott toll-free at 1-888-449-3511, or at:
Office Phone: 202-224-6253
Leadership Office Ph: 202-224-3135
Office Fax: 202-224-2262
Leadership Office Fax: 202-224-4639
E-mail: senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
3. Ask Sen. Orrin Hatch not to push the anti-gun crime bill forward.
As with Sen. Lott above, you can use the letter on the next page to
mail or fax Senator Hatch, or (better yet) you can use the text of
the message below to phone in your complaint to his office. Unlike
the Majority Leader, however, Sen. Hatch is a presidential
candidate, which means that no matter where you live, your opinion
is now very important to him. You can contact Sen. Hatch toll-free
at 1-888-449-3511, or at:
Office Phone: 202-224-5251
Judiciary Com. Office Ph: 202-224-5225
Office Fax: 202-224-6331
Judiciary Com. Fax: 202-224-9102
E-mail: senator_hatch@hatch.senate.gov
------------------- Clip-n-Send ---------------------
Dear Sen. Lott,
I was disappointed to see that you voted for the anti-gun juvenile
injustice bill (S. 254) in May. All the gun control proposals that
you voted for will do NOTHING to stop crime.
More than 19 gun laws didn't stop the two killers in Littleton,
Colorado. And I am willing to bet that passing more gun control is
not going to make a difference either.
Furthermore, the clear language of the 2nd Amendment says the right
to keep and arms "shall not be infringed." Every piece of gun
control that you voted for is an infringement!
I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to undo the damage
you've already done. Please use your leadership position to make
sure that this anti-gun bill NEVER makes it to the President's desk.
Moreover, I hope that you will honor Senator Smith's hold. The
Washington Times (July 3, 1999) reports that you want to "appoint
Senate conferees despite Mr. Smith's threat [to filibuster]."
Senator Smith is, quite frankly, doing the job you should be doing.
You should be supporting him, not opposing him. The "hold" that
Smith has placed on this terrible legislation is exactly the kind of
leadership that I am asking you to provide.
I hope you will do everything in your power, as the Majority Leader
of the Senate, to bury this legislation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
------------------- Clip-n-Send ---------------------
Dear Sen. Hatch,
I was disappointed to see that you voted for the anti-gun juvenile
injustice bill (S. 254) in May. All the gun control proposals that
you voted for will do NOTHING to stop crime.
More than 19 gun laws didn't stop the two killers in Littleton,
Colorado. And I am willing to bet that passing more gun control is
not going to make a difference either.
Furthermore, the clear language of the 2nd Amendment says the right
to keep and arms "shall not be infringed." Every piece of gun
control that you voted for is an infringement!
I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to undo the damage
you've already done. Please use your leadership position to make
sure that this anti-gun bill NEVER makes it to the President's desk.
Moreover, I hope that you will honor Senator Smith's hold. The
Washington Times (July 3, 1999) reports that the Republican
leadership in the Senate wants to "appoint Senate conferees despite
Mr. Smith's threat [to filibuster]."
Senator Smith is, quite frankly, doing the job you should be doing.
You should be supporting him, not opposing him. The "hold" that
Smith has placed on this terrible legislation is exactly the kind of
leadership that I am asking you to provide.
I hope you will do everything in your power to bury this
legislation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
**************
Did someone else forward this to you? To be certain of getting up to
date information, please consider subscribing to the GOA E-Mail
Alert Network directly. There is no cost or obligation, and the
volume of mail is quite low. To subscribe, simply send a message to
goamail@gunowners.org and include the state in which you live, in
either the subject or the body. To unsubscribe, reply to any alert
and ask to be removed.