Cosponsor S. 597: 2nd Amendment Rights Protection Act!
Gun Owners of America
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408

April 7, 1999

Dear Senator:

The FBI last year expressed its intent to register and tax gun owners using the Brady background check. In response, Senator Bob Smith offered an amendment to put a stop to this — and the amendment passed overwhelmingly with 69 votes last July.

However, the appropriations conference committee dropped an extremely important part of the Smith amendment which would allow aggrieved private citizens to sue the FBI, and to collect monetary damages, including attorney’s fees. Deleting this language from the bill means that gun owners now have to rely upon Janet Reno to rein in FBI officials who illegally retain gun owners’ names — an unlikely scenario.

Furthermore, the conferees last year deleted the provision requiring the “immediate destruction” of all gun owners’ names. To no one’s surprise, the FBI responded by saying they would not immediately destroy records, but would keep information on gun buyers for up to six months. Even after this six month period expires, one wonders if gun buyers’ names will really be deleted.

To remedy this, Senator Smith has reintroduced this legislation which passed by a veto-proof majority last July. His bill is S. 597, the “Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 1999.”

This bill is sorely needed. It is a major step in the right direction — a step towards restoring the rights which have been eroded for so many years. I hope you will cosponsor S. 597 immediately. Please let me know what you intend to do.

Sincerely,

Larry Pratt
Executive Director
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