Shoot Out On Capitol Hill Results In Conflicting Messages
--but pro-gun leaders win key, though symbolic, victory
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
(Friday, September 24, 1999) -- Supporters of gun rights in the
House of Representatives charged the floor today with an arsenal of
high-powered arguments in defense of 2nd Amendment liberties. Led
by Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), pro-gun Republicans defied their
leadership in presenting an extremely cogent case in defense of our
freedoms.
"It's not the right of the army," Doolittle roared. "It's not the
right of the National Guard." The Second Amendment "says 'the right
of the people'-- [it's] an individual right."
Doolittle cited constitutional authorities from James Madison to
Laurence Tribe in making his point that the Second Amendment
protects an individual right. He also quoted the highly acclaimed
Dr. John Lott in making the simple point that "more guns equal less
crime," as he waved a copy of Lott's new book for the cameras.
GOA On The Front Lines
In anticipation of this floor fight, lobbyists from Gun Owners of
America yesterday provided pro-gun offices with dozens of
self-defense incidents from this year alone. Pro-gun Rep. Helen
Chenoweth (R-ID) took the list and read self-defense example after
example on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"The stories go on and on," Mrs. Chenoweth concluded. "In fact, a
1997 Clinton Justice Department study found that as many as 1.5
million people use a gun in self-defense every year."
The anti-gun side could offer no rebuttal to this point.
Regardless, they remained entrenched in opposing the motion made by
Rep. Doolittle. His motion instructs House negotiators to drop any
provision that infringes on the 2nd Amendment rights of
individuals-- provisions like the ban on private sales at gun shows,
which can only be surmounted by the buyer's submitting to a
background registration check; a new gun ban for young adults; an
import ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds; etc.
The Doolittle motion passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 337-73.
Also, an earlier motion instructing the conferees to work every day
until they reach an agreement on the crime bill was narrowly
defeated. However, representatives then sent a "conflicting"
message when they voted to instruct the conference members (241-167)
to include gun show registration checks in the final version of the
bill. The latter motion, offered by Zoe Lofgren of California,
directly contradicts the Doolittle motion. While contradictory
messages are not unique on Capitol Hill, one should realize that all
of the motions were non-binding. The conferees could report a gun
bill out of committee as early as next week, or not at all if
sufficient opposition from gun owners is heard.
GOP And Democratic Leaders United In Their Support For Gun Control
Republican leaders like Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) took the floor to
explain that he and many other members of the House want to impose
the instant registration check at gun shows. House Judiciary
Chairman, Henry Hyde (R-IL), also echoed similar opinions yesterday.
On the Democratic side, the anti-gunners were led by Rep. Lofgren
(D-CA). She argued that the 2nd Amendment does not protect an
individual right, and that the anti-gun crime bill which is
currently in conference does not conflict with the Second Amendment.
ACTION: Please thank those members of Congress who spoke up so
eloquently in the defense of the 2nd Amendment right to keep and
bear arms. They are Representatives Doolittle, Chenoweth, Roscoe
Bartlett (R-MD), and John Hostettler (R-IN).
Contact Info:
House of Representatives
Ph: 888-449-3511 or 202-225-3121
Rep. John Doolittle (CA-4th)
Ph: 202-225-2511
Fax: 202-225-5444
E-mail: doolittle@mail.house.gov
Rep. Helen Chenoweth (ID-1st)
Ph: 202-225-6611
Fax: 202-225-3029
E-mail: ask.helen@mail.house.gov
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6th)
Ph: 202-225-2721
Fax: 202-225-2193
No e-mail
Rep. John Hostettler (IN-8th)
Ph: 202-225-4636
Fax: 202-225-3284
E-mail: John.Hostettler@mail.house.gov
**************
Cheaper Than Dirt donates a percentage of your total order to GOA if
you use http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/goa.htm to enter their online
store.
**************
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.
------------------
will you stand with me in DC on 10-2-99?
http://www.myplanet.net/jeffhead/LibMarch
--but pro-gun leaders win key, though symbolic, victory
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
(Friday, September 24, 1999) -- Supporters of gun rights in the
House of Representatives charged the floor today with an arsenal of
high-powered arguments in defense of 2nd Amendment liberties. Led
by Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), pro-gun Republicans defied their
leadership in presenting an extremely cogent case in defense of our
freedoms.
"It's not the right of the army," Doolittle roared. "It's not the
right of the National Guard." The Second Amendment "says 'the right
of the people'-- [it's] an individual right."
Doolittle cited constitutional authorities from James Madison to
Laurence Tribe in making his point that the Second Amendment
protects an individual right. He also quoted the highly acclaimed
Dr. John Lott in making the simple point that "more guns equal less
crime," as he waved a copy of Lott's new book for the cameras.
GOA On The Front Lines
In anticipation of this floor fight, lobbyists from Gun Owners of
America yesterday provided pro-gun offices with dozens of
self-defense incidents from this year alone. Pro-gun Rep. Helen
Chenoweth (R-ID) took the list and read self-defense example after
example on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"The stories go on and on," Mrs. Chenoweth concluded. "In fact, a
1997 Clinton Justice Department study found that as many as 1.5
million people use a gun in self-defense every year."
The anti-gun side could offer no rebuttal to this point.
Regardless, they remained entrenched in opposing the motion made by
Rep. Doolittle. His motion instructs House negotiators to drop any
provision that infringes on the 2nd Amendment rights of
individuals-- provisions like the ban on private sales at gun shows,
which can only be surmounted by the buyer's submitting to a
background registration check; a new gun ban for young adults; an
import ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds; etc.
The Doolittle motion passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 337-73.
Also, an earlier motion instructing the conferees to work every day
until they reach an agreement on the crime bill was narrowly
defeated. However, representatives then sent a "conflicting"
message when they voted to instruct the conference members (241-167)
to include gun show registration checks in the final version of the
bill. The latter motion, offered by Zoe Lofgren of California,
directly contradicts the Doolittle motion. While contradictory
messages are not unique on Capitol Hill, one should realize that all
of the motions were non-binding. The conferees could report a gun
bill out of committee as early as next week, or not at all if
sufficient opposition from gun owners is heard.
GOP And Democratic Leaders United In Their Support For Gun Control
Republican leaders like Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) took the floor to
explain that he and many other members of the House want to impose
the instant registration check at gun shows. House Judiciary
Chairman, Henry Hyde (R-IL), also echoed similar opinions yesterday.
On the Democratic side, the anti-gunners were led by Rep. Lofgren
(D-CA). She argued that the 2nd Amendment does not protect an
individual right, and that the anti-gun crime bill which is
currently in conference does not conflict with the Second Amendment.
ACTION: Please thank those members of Congress who spoke up so
eloquently in the defense of the 2nd Amendment right to keep and
bear arms. They are Representatives Doolittle, Chenoweth, Roscoe
Bartlett (R-MD), and John Hostettler (R-IN).
Contact Info:
House of Representatives
Ph: 888-449-3511 or 202-225-3121
Rep. John Doolittle (CA-4th)
Ph: 202-225-2511
Fax: 202-225-5444
E-mail: doolittle@mail.house.gov
Rep. Helen Chenoweth (ID-1st)
Ph: 202-225-6611
Fax: 202-225-3029
E-mail: ask.helen@mail.house.gov
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6th)
Ph: 202-225-2721
Fax: 202-225-2193
No e-mail
Rep. John Hostettler (IN-8th)
Ph: 202-225-4636
Fax: 202-225-3284
E-mail: John.Hostettler@mail.house.gov
**************
Cheaper Than Dirt donates a percentage of your total order to GOA if
you use http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/goa.htm to enter their online
store.
**************
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.
------------------
will you stand with me in DC on 10-2-99?
http://www.myplanet.net/jeffhead/LibMarch