Put Heat On Rep. Natl. Committee

Let’s Really Put the Heat On
— Call RNC and get their “attention” on terror bill

(Monday, April 8) — Well, it seems that the Republican leadership is still pushing to get a vote on the “Government Terror” bill before the April 19 anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. According to sources on the Hill, their biggest reason for trying to pass the bill is that they don’t want the President to beat up on them for having failed to pass a bill — that is, for having “done nothing.”

Unfortunately, high ranking Republicans are pushing the bill. Leaders such as Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey and Tom DeLay voted and/or spoke in favor of the terror bill when it came to the House floor last month. And even though the House cleaned up some of the problems last month, many of the conferees will be trying to make the bill more intrusive. According to New Gun Week: “Among the conferees are people like [Henry] Hyde and [Charles] Schumer who have already said they didn’t like the House version and who may make changes that will be more to their and Clinton’s liking.”

Folks, it’s time to grab their attention. And perhaps the best way to do it is by getting them in their pocket book. If we focus our attention on their purse strings, we can definitely help restore some of their backbone. It certainly worked in 1994, when GOA’s boycott of RNC helped reduce their funding by 80%, thus “encouraging” Bob Dole to filibuster the crime bill.(See The Washington Times,9/5/94.)

Some of you have already caught on to this. One potential contributor to the RNC (Republican National Committee) shared his letter with GOA. He says, “Any contribution now, or in the future, hinges on a defeat of this [terrorism] bill by the Republicans. . . . If this bill passes, the Repub- licans are not better than the Democrats in my eyes. I really do feel that strongly about it.”

This is the message they need to hear. If they hear this from enough people — during a presidential election year — we very well may get their attention and defeat this legislation.

There are many, many problems in both the House and Senate versions of the bill (fax us a request for a summary of these problems if you do not have our March 25 alert). But among the worst problems are provisions that will demonize gun owners for possessing laser sights (while committing even a NON-VIOLENT federal crime); centralize federal, state and local police (i.e., bring us dangerously close to a national police force); federalize state crimes (giving BATF more authority); give BATF carte blanche to make recommenda- tions for ammunition and firearms bans; authorize $100 million more for the BATF, and much, much more.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

1) Call the Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour (202-863-8700) and give him a message similar to what the gun owner above had to say. Tell them it is shameful that the Republican-controlled Congress would push a bill that is so chock-full of constitutional violations, all in the name of saying they “did something.” Tell him the RNC will not get any of your money as long as Republicans continue to push legislation that is harmful to the Second Amendment and Bill of Rights.

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, please call Mr. Barbour’s office. Anything that threatens fundraising efforts in an election year drives politicians crazy. Your phone call will have more impact than a thousand demonstrators hollering and screaming on the steps of RNC headquarters.

2) You can still send a mailgram to your Senators and Representative by calling Western Union at 1-800-651-1486. These mailgrams give your legislators solid reasons to oppose the terror bill.

3) Alert conservative, liberal and libertarian groups to the dangers posed by severely limiting Habeas Corpus protections. The Habeas Corpus provision in our Constitution allows courts to rescue citizens that are unfairly jailed. The terror bill’s change to this provision will affect ALL groups and ALL citizens ALL along the political spectrum. (Fax us a request for GOA’s Habeas “deform” Fact Sheet to see how it will affect gun owners.)