Sen. Smith Taking On Lott And Hatch

Senator Bob Smith Blocking Anti-gun Crime Bill
— But Trent Lott threatens to ‘roll’ Smith

(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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

——————- 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 bear 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 bear 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,