No deals, No Gun Control; PERIOD!

Everyone in Washington, D.C. is looking around nervously, waiting for the next shoe to drop.

No one believes for a second the fight ended when the Senate voted down President Obama’s anti-gun agenda last week.

In fact, I’m now getting word from Capitol Hill insiders, gun control could be back on the Senate calendar as early as the end of this week!

Not only that, but less than 24 hours after the United States Senate defeated the Toomey-Manchin Background Check (NATIONAL GUN REGISTRATION) Bill, House Speaker John Boehner announced the House would also “look at [gun violence].”

That’s why I’m going to ask you to sign a No Gun Control, No Deals petition to your Congressman in just a moment.

But first let me explain exactly what we’re facing.

If there’s one thing you and I have learned during the first five years of the Obama presidency, it’s that he’ll do whatever it takes to get his way.

Twisting rules. Twisting arms. Threatening and demonizing the opposition. Effectively bribing Members of Congress with schemes like the “Cornhusker Kickback.”

You name it.

And he’s already stated he has much more in store, saying, “I see this as just round one.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated ominously, “It is only a matter of time.”

Of course facts don’t matter to gun-grabbers, they will say anything to get their way.

After Boston’s terror attack, gun-grabbers claimed that the terrorists used guns without going through Massachusetts’ registration scheme proves we need a national gun registration system. Up is down in the gun-grabbers’ world.

And as Wednesday’s amendment votes showed, perhaps the greatest threat on our plate right now is so-called “anti-trafficking” legislation — or better-named, the ATF Witch Hunt Bill.

If passed, the ATF Witch Hunt Bill would impose harsh sentences on gun owners — up to 20 years in prison — for buying a firearm to sell or give to a “prohibited person.”

So just buying a shotgun for a son returning home from Afghanistan so you can spend some time in the woods hunting like the old days could be enough to land you in jail for 20 years.

Already, 100,000 veterans are banned from owning guns because they sought help for stress after returning from war.

And since Barack Obama just issued an Executive Order calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to “review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun,” the definition of “prohibited” could change any day.

Under ATF Witch Hunt legislation, it doesn’t matter if you know whether someone is a “prohibited person” or not — you’re going to prison either way.

The only way for law-abiding Second Amendment supporters to ultimately prove their innocence would be if every firearms transfer is signed off on by the federal government — paving the way for a national gun registry.

And you and I both know, so-called “gun registration” is the first step toward TOTAL GUN CONFISCATION!

This legislation was defeated by only two votes in the Senate!

And in the House, a Republican — Scott Rigell of Virginia — has introduced similar legislation with Democrat Carolyn Maloney of New York.

It could hardly work out more perfectly for the gun-grabbers.

After all, as I’ve told you, Senator Reid’s ONLY goal at this point is to get a gun bill — ANY gun bill — through the Senate.

President Obama and his anti-gun allies don’t believe the House will present much of a problem — especially since Speaker Boehner is unashamedly discussing moving a gun control bill of his own, and said he’d “consider” anti-gun legislation Harry Reid rams through the Senate.

Anyone familiar with Washington-speak knows what Speaker Boehner is saying is that all he’ll ask is to just add an amendment or two to whatever bill Harry Reid wants before he passes it . . .

At that point, all bets are off.

The gun-grabbers’ number-one goal in this fight is to get slightly different versions of the same legislation through both chambers of Congress so they can get to an Obama-controlled Conference Committee.

Once they go to Conference Committee, the bill can be dressed up with all kinds of last-minute anti-gun goodies and rammed through both chambers of Congress and to Obama’s desk before you and I know what hit us.

Already this year, Speaker Boehner has passed three bills through the U.S. House against the will of a majority of Republicans.

He just counted on Nancy Pelosi to round up the Democrat votes he needed to get the job done.

But now, with a Republican introducing the House bill, President Obama is virtually assured of getting the “bipartisan” House majority he so desperately wants to pass this bill into law.

In fact, the House could end up “taking the lead!”

That’s why your support today is so critical.

Behind closed doors right now, President Obama, Harry Reid and the rest of the gun-grabbers are turning up the heat to switch the handful of Senate votes they need to strip away more of our Second Amendment rights.

And House movement on gun control could begin any day, as well.

So you and I cannot afford to let up the pressure on Congress for an instant.

Instead, I need to start pressuring key members of BOTH houses of Congress.

That’s why your No Gun Control, No Deals petition is so critical.

For Freedom,

Dudley Brown
Executive Vice President

Requisite begging for bucks notation to keep up the good fight!

Related articles

• The Inexorable Push of Leftist Gun Grabbers (thepatriotperspective.wordpress.com)
• Shock Poll (If You’re a Gun-Grabber): Majority of Americans Say Having a Gun in the Home Makes It Safer (pjmedia.com)
• USA should drive gun grabbers into oblivion, says gun law expert (examiner.com)

Sellout is worse than the Feinstein gun ban!

Urgent action required. It is urgent that every gun owner call their Senators today and demand that they oppose the “See a Shrink, Lose your Guns” sell-out bill that is being authored by Senators Pat Toomey (R) and Joe Manchin (D) – but which also has Chuck Schumer’s fingerprints all over it. Call immediately at 202-224-3121.

See a Shrink, Lose your Guns. The anti-gun “ranters” have spent the last week telling us that Republican Senators can’t filibuster Harry Reid’s gun control bill; that they can’t cut off debate to a bill they haven’t seen yet. “Let the bill come up,” they say. “We need to see the bill” before Senators can vote against cloture to proceed to it.

Well, we’ve seen the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer sell-out, and it’s worse than the Feinstein gun ban, which will reportedly be tied to it and offered simultaneously in a Senate procedure known as an “amendment tree.”

Toomey and Manchin will claim that their bill only covers “gun show sales” and Internet sales. But if you’ve ever talked about your gun and /or let it be known you’d like to sell or buy a gun on the Internet, this language covers you. If you advertise your gun in the church bulletin and the bulletin is put on the Internet, you’re covered.

The only exemption is for sales that are sold exclusively by word of mouth. The increased number of background checks would likely exacerbate the system breakdowns (inherent to NICS) which have shut down gun shows over and over again. It would mean that Americans who were illegally denied firearms because their names were similar to other people’s would effectively be barred from owning a gun. (We would never tolerate such delays for voting rights or other freedoms that we are guaranteed.)

And for those Republicans who think they’re going to be able to offer their useless amendments, guess what? Reid is reportedly going to use a procedure to block out all amendments (called an “amendment tree”). And there are plenty of Senators standing in line to make sure that the Senate doesn’t give “unanimous consent” to let those Republicans offer their amendments.

So if you live in a rural area, you’re effectively barred from selling or buying a gun – or it at least becomes very, very difficult.

Incidentally, the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer “national registry” language is full of holes. There will be a national gun registry as a result of this sell-out.

But that’s not the worst part. Under an amendment in the bill to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), you could have your guns taken away because your private shrink thinks you’re “dangerous” and could send your name directly to the FBI Instant Check system.

Did you think it was terrible that 150,000 military veterans had been added into the NICS system because they’d seen a VA shrink about their PTSD? Well guess what? Now it’s going to happen to the rest of the population … by the millions!

And the next step, of course, will be to begin to sue psychiatrists that don’t send every single patient’s name to the Instant Check system, and to make sure that their lives are ruined if they don’t send a patient to NICS and anything goes wrong.

The bottom line: “See a shrink; lose your guns.”

All of this will reportedly be on an amendment tree with the Feinstein gun ban and magazine bans.

Repeal of gun owner protections. In addition, Toomey no doubt unintentionally agreed to repeal one of the most important protections for gun owners that was included in the 1986 McClure-Volkmer Act – the provision that would allow you to take an unloaded, locked-up gun through states like New York without being stopped. Under a new subsection (c), the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer bill would require you to “demonstrate” to the satisfaction of New York police where you were coming from and where you are going to. And, if you don’t do that to their satisfaction, they can arrest you.

Please keep in mind, nothing in this bill would have stopped Newtown dirtbag from killing his mother and taking the firearms that she owned and perpetrating the horrible crimes that he committed.

Nothing is this bill would actually make children safer at schools. There is nothing that will actually keep bad guys from stealing or illegally acquiring guns, but there’s plenty that will threaten our gun rights!

ACTION: Click here to contact your two senators immediately. Tell them the “see a shrink; lose your guns” sellout is even worse than the Feinstein gun ban which will reportedly be on the same amendment tree with it. Distribute this alert far and wide.

Time is short, so if you call – at 202-224-3121 – you may click here to see the pre-written letter and use the contents to help direct your comments.

 

Related articles

• Tommey-Manchin Sellout Bill Is Worse Than Feinstein Gun Ban (freedomoutpost.com)
• GOA To Manchin and Toomey – Hell No! (tarpon.wordpress.com)
• Toomey Refused to Have Schumer at Gun Deal Presser (rollcall.com)
• No Pass on Toomey-Schumer-Manchin Gun Bill (heritageaction.com)

Support the Paul-Cruz-Lee Filibuster!

We are going into a battle which will determine the future of gun control for the next decade – and perhaps for the rest of our lifetime.

Here’s the status: On or around April 8, Harry Reid will move to proceed to S. 649. That “base bill” contains the Veterans Gun Ban, which could send you to prison for 15 years if you sell a gun to a veteran, without realizing he has PTSD. The bill will also contain the Schumer version of Universal Gun Registries.

S. 649 does not have the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster on final passage. However, if Reid can get the motion to proceed adopted – and get on the bill itself – he will play let’s-make-a-deal and use bribes and kickbacks to buy the 60 votes he needs.

In particular, Reid and Schumer will probably try to prune the universal registry bill to buy off the vote of Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn. They may pretend to prohibit recordkeeping by the FBI, but you can bet their “compromise” will contain a big, juicy loophole.

In addition, they may pare it back to gun shows and internet sales, although the most recent “gun show” bill we have seen would effectively ban gun shows.

The media has been reporting that the NRA leadership is working with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin to craft these compromises, although NRA vehemently denies it.

As a result of anti-gun rules changes, there are two ways to proceed to a bill in the Senate. One requires 60 votes, which we have. The second requires 50 votes (plus Biden), but requires Reid to give up some of his control of the floor.

The point is this: Our efforts will be tremendously helped if the NRA leadership publicly calls on Senators to oppose the motion to proceed, opposes cloture on the motion to proceed, and scores both votes.

If it does this, the motion to proceed will die. Reid will be unable to move to any gun control legislation. Gun control will die.

We believe that, because of the strength and fervor of our membership, we are very close to winning this battle – but it would be so much easier if we were both singing off the same page.

ACTION: If, you are an NRA member, contact them. Urge them to join with us in supporting the Paul-Cruz-Lee filibuster. That means they should tell Senators to oppose the motion to proceed to any gun control vehicle, and to oppose cloture on the motion to proceed to any gun control vehicle.

CONTACT: You can use the message below to direct your comments to NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

Call 1-800-392-8683
or send him a message at www.nraila.org/secure/contact-us.aspx

 

---

 

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Mr. LaPierre:

We are going into a battle which will determine the future of gun control for the next decade – and perhaps for the rest of our lifetime.

As you know, Harry Reid will soon move to proceed to S. 649. That “base bill” contains the Veterans Gun Ban, which could send you to prison for 15 years if you sell a gun to a veteran, without realizing he has PTSD. The bill will also contain the Schumer version of Universal Gun Registries.

As you also know, S. 649 does not have the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster on final passage. However, if Reid can get the motion to proceed adopted – and get on the bill itself – he will play let’s-make-a-deal and use bribes and kickbacks to buy the 60 votes he needs.

In particular, Reid and Schumer will probably try to prune the universal registry bill to buy off the vote of Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn. They may pretend to prohibit recordkeeping by the FBI, but you can bet their “compromise” will contain a big, juicy loophole. In addition, they may pare it back to gun shows and Internet sales, although the most recent “gun show” bill would effectively ban gun shows.

There are reports in the press that you are working with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin to craft these compromises, although I hope this information is wrong.

As a result of anti-gun rules changes, there are two ways to proceed to a bill in the Senate. One requires 60 votes, which we have. The second requires 50 votes (plus Biden), but requires Reid to give up some of his control of the floor.

The point is this: I hope that you will support the Paul-Cruz-Lee filibuster and tell Senators that the NRA opposes the motion to proceed to S. 649 … opposes cloture on the motion to proceed … and will score both votes.

If you do this, the motion to proceed will die. Reid will be unable to move to any gun control legislation. Gun control will die.

I would therefore ask you to please oppose the motion to proceed to any gun control vehicle, and oppose cloture on the motion to proceed to any gun control vehicle, and to score both votes.

Please let me know if you will do this.

Sincerely,

Here is a copy of the letter that I sent;

Please join with the rest of freedom loving organizations and support  the Paul- Cruz- Lee filibuster. No compromises at all, whatsoever. No to any deals of any kind at all. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin needs to be sent walking for even considering any sort of cave in.
No more lifetime bans for less than felony convictions. You caved on that to Lautenberg, and we still remember. No more disarming veterans for serving their nation for life. We remember that. No more failing to support any gun owner for political expediency as you have done more times than I can remember. Grow a pair and get to work! We expect more, a lot more than submissiveness and compromise. Screw the press and anyone else that decides that they know better than we do when it comes to how we live our lives!

Related articles

• GOA: Senators Paul, Cruz and Lee to Lead Filibuster of Reid’s Gun Control Bribe-o-thon (familysurvivalprotocol.com)
• Rand Paul Plans Another Filibuster, Silent This Time, Against Gun Control Legislation (reason.com)
• Paul and Cruz threaten filibuster on guns (politico.com)
• Another Filibuster In The Works? Paul, Cruz, Lee Vow to Block Gun Control Legislation (breitbart.com)
• Rand Paul and Ted Cruz threaten filibuster on guns (nraila.org)

Never compromise your most deeply held values. Have faith, have courage. Sua Sponte!

 

Senate staffer says “gun grabbers were livid” and “DiFi was pissed”

On Friday, GOA asked you to contact your Senators and urge them to support the Lee amendment which would require Senators to muster 67 votes before adopting gun control legislation. You responded to the call, and the results were very encouraging.

The good news is that a majority of Senators supported the Lee amendment by a 50-49 vote. The bad news is, since the Senate rules requires 60 votes, the Lee amendment fell ten votes short.

Click here to see how your Senators voted on the Lee amendment.

Part of GOA’s strategy for defeating Harry Reid’s gun control bill (S. 649) has been to put Senators on record and force them to reveal where they stand on gun rights. Are they going to stand with us, or are they going to follow Obama down the road to further gun control restrictions and, therefore, require additional pressure from their constituents?

One high-level Senate staffer, commenting about the vote on the Lee amendment which took place at 4 a.m. Saturday morning, told GOA that, “The gun grabbers were livid when Senator Lee forced the vote. Mark Pryor looked nervous as hell, and DiFi [aka, Dianne Feinstein] was pissed.”

GOA’s strategy was realized twice Saturday when two key amendments were offered to the budget resolution — one amendment by Senator Lee, the other by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK).

Six Democrats and all but one Republican (Mark Kirk of Illinois) voted in favor of the Lee Amendment which would make S. 649 impossible to pass. Again, this is because the Lee amendment would have required anti-gun Senators to muster 67 votes (rather than a simple majority of 51 votes) before gun control could be adopted.

There were six “Red State” Democrats who voted Against the Lee amendment — Senators Mark Begich (AK), Tim Johnson (SD), Tim Kaine (VA), Mary Landrieu (LA), Harry Reid (NV) and Mark Warner (VA). Gun owners in these states should be sure to voice their displeasure with these Senators.

The other provision — an anti-UN treaty amendment offered by Sen. Inhofe — passed by a 53-46 margin.  53 senators, including eight Democrats, voted for the Inhofe amendment to kill the UN Arms Trade Treaty — a treaty that would impose gun registration and possibly even ban handguns and semi-autos, while creating a microstamping requirement that would be technologically impossible to comply with. You can see how your Senators voted on the Inhofe amendment here.

Anti-gun Mary Landrieu and Harry Reid voted wrong on both amendments — and even refused to join the eight Democrats who oppose the UN Arms Trade Treaty. This treaty could be self-executing and could, without further legislation, force the U.S. to implement gun registration and bans on semi-autos and handguns.

Gun owners in Louisiana and Nevada, you have some homework to do — Mary Landrieu and Harry Reid need to hear from you!

GOA will keep you updated on the status of Harry Reid’s gun control bill (S. 649), which will be voted on right after the Easter recess.

It would then appear that many of them are still STUCK ON STUPID!

 

Related articles

• NRA praises Inhofe for amendment to stop US from joining UN arms treaty (thehill.com)
• Senate votes to stop US from joining UN Arms Trade treaty (americanthinker.com)
• Did The U.S. Senate Just Kill The UN Arms Trade Treaty? (warnewsupdates.blogspot.com)
• The truth about the Arms Trade Treaty (thehill.com)
• U.N. Threatens to Override Second Amendment (joemiller.us)
• NWO,UN,OBAMA WILL NEVER STOP GENOCIDE OF AMERICANS WITH JIHAD:Senator Lee to Offer Amendment Tonight to Ban Most Gun Control in the Senate (usazorrozpress.wordpress.com)

Reid & McConnell are reportedly about to change the Senate rules

It’s probably a harbinger of sell-outs to come.  But Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is apparently about to conclude an agreement with Majority Leader Harry Reid which would sell out pro-gunners and decimate minority rights under the Senate rules.

This change could occur as early as Wednesday.  If enacted, it could handcuff pro-gun forces and keep them from defeating the most radical initiatives aimed at restricting our Second Amendment rights.

The first of two changes would allow Harry Reid -– and only Harry Reid –- to circumvent the hurdles that the minority could use to slow down a controversial gun control bill.

As you may remember from the fight over the anti-gun ObamaCare bill, the filibuster of the “motion to proceed” is the last point where pro-gunners can delay a bill before Harry Reid can bribe Senators and buy votes with deals like the infamous Cornhusker Kickback.

If Reid follows this procedure, McConnell could offer two “germane” amendments on behalf of Republicans.  But given the willingness of Democrats to destroy the Senate rules by brute force, you can expect them to drastically limit what amendments would be considered “germane,” thus restricting the ability of the minority to effectively filibuster an anti-gun bill.

The second Reid-McConnell amendment would make it virtually impossible to stop a bill from going to House-Senate conference committee.

Currently, if pro-gunners suspect that Democrats intend to take a tiny bill and write comprehensive gun control in a House-Senate conference, they can stop the bill from going to conference and require that it be bounced back-and-forth in an amendable form — what is known as ping-ponging — between the two houses.

But this Reid-McConnell change would allow Reid to force a conference to prevent the minority from, once again, stopping gun control legislation from being written in a conference committee and crammed down Senators’ throats on a take-it-or-leave it basis.

The bottom line?  Given that Harry Reid has consistently abused the Senate rules and locked Republicans out of the amendment process, why should McConnell reward him with this massive expansion of his powers?

And what does this say about the likelihood that McConnell will show any courage on the gun issue when it comes before the U.S. Senate?

The President and his allies in the Congress want to impose Universal Background Checks, among other things, upon every gun purchaser in America.  This would finally give gun grabbers the information they need to identify and register every gun buyer (whether the purchase was completed as a private sale or through a gun dealer).

Given that the Democrats in New York are trying to CONFISCATE guns from law-abiding gun owners, gun owners should rise with ONE VOICE in opposing any legislation or rules changes that would allow federal bureaucrats to register gun owners.

And more to the point, gun owners need to contact their Senators immediately and demand that they leave the Senate rules alone!

At the rate that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is going — if he concludes a deal limiting the use of the filibuster — it would not be surprising if a number of primary opponents emerge to challenge him.

ACTION:  Click here to contact your U.S. Senators immediately.  While you can contact them here through CapWiz, we would strongly encourage you to call your Senators and DEMAND that they leave the filibuster alone!

You can reach them by calling the U.S. Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121.  And, please call Sen. Mitch McConnell (202-224-2541) and tell him to make NO DEALS to limit the use of the filibuster.

Surrender monkey’s: Flag this message Boehner and Cantor Surrender… Again

Just hours ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he will postpone his assault on the filibuster until Thursday.

This battle is far from over, but thanks to your consistent action and quick work to turn up the pressure, it’s clear Harry Reid is scrambling to find the votes he needs.

But right now, there’s another all-out EMERGENCY C4L needs your help to combat.

Tomorrow, in a push led by Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the U.S. House is scheduled to vote on a plan to increase the debt limit by… infinity.

You see, passage of this scheme would hand President Obama a blank check to spend whatever he can get through Congress before this summer!

That’s why it’s vital you give Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and your U.S. Representative a piece of your mind IMMEDIATELY!

Only weeks ago, as they caved in to President Obama’s demands for higher spending and increased taxes, Republican leadership told you and me not to worry.

Sure, our nation is mired in over $16 TRILLION of debt.

Sure, it’s common sense that Congress needs to rein in its reckless, drunken spending.

But first, they had to cave in to President Obama on economy-crushing higher taxes (and just you never mind that their plan hiked spending, too)…

The good news, we were told, was the new debt ceiling fight would surely give fiscal conservatives the “leverage” they’d been seeking to cut spending!

Now, those outright LIES have been totally exposed.

It seems Speaker Boehner and Eric Cantor are afraid to EVER stand up to President Obama and Harry Reid’s demands for more spending.

In fact, under this new scheme, whatever new spending hikes, massive new boondoggles, and outrageous new assaults on our liberties President Obama can ram through an increasingly compliant Congress by May 19 will be automatically funded with borrowing increases.

And with the Federal Reserve eager to buy up as much debt as they can with dollars created out of thin air, I fear what this could mean to our already fragile economy.

That’s why it’s vital you take action right away!

Please call House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor at once.

Speaker Boehner –  (202) 225-0600

Majority Leader Cantor –  (202) 225-4000

Tell them exactly what you think of this new scheme to grow government, chicken out from taking a stand again, and stick you with the bill – and do not mince words.

While you’re at it, call your U.S. Representative:

(202) 224-3121

Tell your Representative to vote “NO!” on this radical scheme before it’s too late.

Our window to make our voices heard is rapidly closing, so please act at once!

In Liberty,

These people are “leaders?” I caught a lot of hell for calling Romney “obamalite” but take a look please, at most of the rest of the Republicans! We need a whole new batch of Libertarians in places of power. No, not the whack jobs that caused me to leave the party, but the types that Ronald Reagan referred to as the heart and soul of Conservatism. My quote may not be exact, but you get the picture. Liberty and Freedom of the common man and woman most often provide solutions for virtually all of our problems. While government just screws things up beyond belief. Usually via unintended consequences. Is the majority of America, even including the illegal aliens residing here really all that stuck on stupid..? Free cheese isn’t free people, and Freedom isn’t, and never has been “free.”

The Bill of Rights, according to Common Law. Come and take them from me. God willing!

Related articles

• GOP goes into complete surrender mode on debt (conservativelyspeaking.us)
• BOEHNER: I’m staying… (washingtontimes.com)
• UK News: Obama offered debt crisis reprieve (walesonline.co.uk)
• “Eric Cantor, Cornered”: Another Of The People Who Needs To Be Replaced (mykeystrokes.com)

RAM into law the new Feinstein Gun Ban, and ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds

I’m worried Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell may be about to cut a deal with Harry Reid . . .

. . . that’s why I need you to TAKE ACTION at once.

You see, Reid may still be just a few votes short of the 51 he needs to break Senate rules and use the “nuclear option” to destroy the Senate filibuster.

But if McConnell cuts a deal with Reid to deliver the votes he needs, he’ll have cleared a path for the passage of Barack Obama’s Gun Ban Plan.

Please CLICK HERE to send Mitch McConnell an email demanding he not cut a deal with Harry Reid to gut the Senate filibuster.

For Freedom,

Dudley Brown
Executive Vice President

www.NationalGunRights.org/

 

Related articles

• Reid to lay out plans for filibuster reform (thehill.com)

McCain may be working to stab us in the back, and what else is new..?

Whether the Semi-Auto Ban Passes May
Depend on What Happens to the Senate Rules

McCain may be working to stab us in the back

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is still trying to rig the Senate rules so that President Barack Obama can get his anti-gun and anti-Constitution agenda passed.

But first, here’s some good news.

GOA activists like yourself are having an impact!

Prior to the New Year, the reports coming out of Washington, DC indicated that Senator Harry Reid was going to nuke the filibuster on the first day of the new Congress (which would have been yesterday).

But Politico, which is one of the official papers of Capitol Hill, reported yesterday that Reid still doesn’t have the votes — despite having a Democrat majority.

The Politico headline blared:  “Reid expected to Postpone Filibuster Rule Change:  May buy time for a bipartisan bill.”

This is somewhat good news, as it means that Reid still can’t cram a rules change down our throats, limiting the ability that pro-gun Senators have to filibuster (or kill) anti-gun legislation.

But here’s the bad news:  Reid is working on a “compromise” where certain RINO’s like John McCain will help Reid do his bidding.

What’s at stake?

Well, The Blaze reported yesterday that Vice President Joe Biden “guaranteed” to ailing Boston Mayor Tom Menino that sweeping gun control legislation would be passed by the end of January.

How sweeping?

A quick look at Feinstein’s semi-auto ban legislation suggests that up to 75% of all handguns currently in circulation would be banned, along with as much as 50% of all long guns.

Depending on its configuration, the AR-15 you already have would probably be treated like a machine gun.  You would have to be fingerprinted, background checked by the FBI, and undergo a six-month license application process to keep it.  And when you die, the government will seize it.

If you don’t get an NFA license, you can expect the SWAT teams to descend on your house.

But, you ask, how could such rabidly anti-gun legislation ever get past Congress?  Well, legislators could simply follow the path they took on the fiscal cliff, where they bludgeoned a minority of Senators into accepting several, coerced short-cuts in regard to the Senate rules.

However, these forced short-cuts would now become mandated and set in stone if Harry Reid & Co. get their way.

Under one new “compromise” being floated on Capitol Hill, the Senate would change its rules so that it could pass a gun ban with only 50 votes (plus the vote of Vice President Joe Biden).  Or legislators could write the gun ban in a House-Senate conference committee on a “must-pass” bill, employing a tactic that is frequently used to pass controversial legislation.  Democrats like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, Nevada’s Harry Reid, and Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey — who will not have to run for reelection for a while — will cast “courageous” votes for this gun ban.

And it will hit the House with enormous momentum — momentum which House Speaker John Boehner (who has already called for a dialogue on gun control) may not have the courage to resist.

But the first step will be to demolish the Senate rules so that gun control only requires 50 votes — or so that gun control can be inserted in a House-Senate conference report on a must-pass bill.  And this is where John McCain comes in.

GOA working with Senator Rand Paul to preserve the filibuster

McCain was irritated at Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who worked with Gun Owners of America on a variety of pro-gun issues that slowed down his defense funding bill.   So McCain would not lose any sleep if his rules “compromise” diminished our ability to kill anti-gun legislation in the future.

McCain is now working with Leftist anti-gun Senator Carl Levin on a series of rules changes to make gun control a lot easier to pass.

The first McCain-Levin rules change would make it impossible to fight — what’s known in Washington as — the “motion to proceed.”  Remember ObamaCare?  Our last real shot to kill ObamaCare was by filibustering the “motion to proceed” to that anti-gun legislation.  Once the motion was adopted, the bill became amendable and Harry Reid could play “let’s-make-a-deal.”  So this change would eliminate our last real opportunity to set up a roadblock and keep anti-gun legislation from even being considered.

The second McCain-Levin rules change would make it easier to add gun control to a bill in conference.  Currently, senators can block a House-Senate conference from considering an anti-gun bill.  But if the McCain proposals are adopted, a “must-pass” bill could be sent to conference … amended in conference with a draconian gun ban … and then sent back to the House and the Senate on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.

McCain will try to tell you that that inserting a gun ban into a bill that is sitting in a House-Senate conference would be outside the “scope of conference.”  But that would be a lie, because as any Senator knows, “scope of conference” rules are never followed.  For example, the Gramm-Rudman spending guidelines were written in conference from the ground up.

The third McCain-Levin rules change would block any amendments except for those offered by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell or Floor Manager John McCain.  All other senators would be left out in the cold.

This McCain-Levin package must be stopped.

We are currently working with Senator Rand Paul, who is planning to offer a GOA-originated amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate before any anti-gun measure can be passed.

We know.  We know.  If it were up to us, gun control would not be able to be passed with 100 votes.  But we need to propose something which will pass the Senate.

So we need your help in opposing the McCain package and supporting the Paul amendment.

ACTION:  Click here to contact your Senators.  Demand that they (1) oppose the McCain-Levin package to make gun control easier to pass, and (2) support the Rand Paul amendment to require a two-thirds vote to enact gun control.

 

Related articles

• McCain, Levin propose curbing filibusters (rep-am.com)
• 113th Congress: Harry Reid Ready to “Change the Rules” (ConservativeActionAlerts.com)
• Filibuster Reform Uncertainty Worries Proponents (tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com)
• A Big Moment for Filibuster Reform (takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com)
• The wait to see if Harry Reid will push filibuster reform (examiner.com)
• Harry Reid delays filibuster reform by a few weeks (dailykos.com)
• RINO attacks Rand Paul, sides with Harry Reid on Filibuster “Reform” (ConservativeActionAlerts.com)

Harry Reid Prepares to Annihilate Second Amendment, what next freedom of expression..?

“Our Founders intended the Senate to be a body where legislation was slowed down and subject to improvement through extended debate and amendment. [Harry] Reid’s proposed ‘reforms’ would remove two of the most fundamental rights traditionally reserved to all Senators — to freely debate and amend legislation. I shall not stand for that.” — Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)

On Election Day last November, several Democrat Senators were campaigning for reelection in pro-gun states.  And in order to get their constituents’ votes, they promised fealty to the Second Amendment.

Patrick, on November 6, Democrat Senators Joe Manchin (WV), Bob Casey (PA) and Jon Tester (MT) all won their respective elections.  These seats, among others, were crucial to helping Harry Reid return to the top post in the Senate.

But only a month after the election returns were tallied, the Senate — under Majority Leader Harry Reid’s control — is now crusading to implement:

* Gun bans on semiautomatic firearms and magazines;

* An effective ban on gun shows;

* A ban on private gun sales, without going through a gun dealer; and,

* Changes in the Senate rules which would allow them to ban guns with a mere 50 Senate votes.

This last proposal is particularly insidious.  Gun grabbers are not going to be able to get 60 votes to break a Senate filibuster of gun control.  But, with the help of fake “pro-gun” Senate Democrats, they may be able to get 50.

So the question of whether Senate Democrats will need 50 votes or 60 votes will determine whether gun control -– and much of Obama’s agenda -– will be slammed through and passed into law.

This brings us to the “nuclear option.”

This is a trick which anti-gun Democrats intend to use the first day of the Senate session in order to obliterate the Senate rules and clear the way for 50-vote passage of gun control.

Your senator’s vote on the “nuclear option” may be the most important gun-related vote he casts during the 113^th Congress.  It may be the difference between whether Obama can secure Senate passage of gun bans, magazine bans, gun show bans, and bans on private gun sales.

Anti-gun Democrats will try to tell you that the Senate is just following its precedents.

But that’s a bald-faced lie.  As Democrats made clear during the Bush administration when the Republicans were contemplating the “nuclear option,” the nuclear option has been threatened, but the trigger has never been pulled.

Anti-gun Democrats will try to tell you that the “nuclear option” can only be invoked on the first day.

That’s a lie.  Senate Rule 5, Paragraph 2, provides that the Senate rules continue from one Congress to the next, unless changed by 67 votes (needed to break a filibuster of rules changes).  If the Senate can use brute force to obliterate Rule 5 by 50 votes, it can use brute force to obliterate any rule at any time by 50 votes.

This is a major vote that will have huge ramifications for our republic.  Our gun rights are just one of the many freedoms that are on the chopping block right now.  And if Harry Reid can squelch his opposition by nuking the filibuster, it will be the first step towards completely obliterating our Constitution.

ACTION: Click here to contact your Senators and tell them that the vote on the “nuclear option” will be the most important gun control vote of the 113th Congress.  Urge them to vote AGAINST changing the Senate rules.  Tell them to vote AGAINST the “nuclear option.”

 You may also phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

SOURCE

 

It’s Back: Free Speech is just fine, as long as you agree with them! DISCLOSE ACT

 

Anti-gun Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) really does not want gun owners’ voices to be heard in Washington, D.C.

 

Anti-gun Democrat leaders have scheduled a vote for Monday, July 16, on the so-called DISCLOSE Act.

 

You may recall that the DISCLOSE Act passed the House in 2010 but died in the Senate after an intense lobbying effort by Gun Owners of America and other groups.

 

The bill coming to the floor on Monday, S. 3369, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, puts severe and unconstitutional limits on GOA’s ability to hold individual congressmen accountable in the months leading up to an election.

 

Instead of protecting the most important type of speech protected by the First Amendment — political speech — this bill would force groups like GOA to “disclose” the names of donors in certain political advertisements.

 

Since Gun Owners of America is not willing to disclose its membership lists to the Federal Election Commission, we could be prohibited from running radio or TV ads exposing a federal candidate’s voting record during the election season.

 

This is just another attempt by pathetic, anti-gun politicians like Harry Reid to save their jobs before the political earthquake in November strikes. Indeed, if GOA candidates are victorious in Senate races in November, Harry Reid will no longer be the Majority Leader.

 

And, as has been the case so often with Reid, there have been no committee hearings to debate the merits of the bill, thus the American people have no opportunity to see just how egregiously DISCLOSE violates the Constitution. In fact, the bill was introduces less than a week ago.

 

Please urge your Senators to protect ALL of the Bill of Rights. Remind them that your ability to protect the Second Amendment relies on the safeguards of the First Amendment.

 

ACTION: Contact your Senators and urge them to oppose the DISCLOSE Act. You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Senators a pre-written e-mail message.

 

 

Related articles

• Schumer calls for “limits on First Amendment rights” during Senate debate (hotair.com)
• Sen Bill Nelson Blames DISCLOSE Act Failure On GOP Corruption (crooksandliars.com)
• GOA: Senate Scheduled to Vote on anti-Free Speech Bill on Monday (maddmedic.wordpress.com)
• EXCLUSIVE: NRA Threatens Senators Who Support Campaign Finance Disclosure (nvrdc.wordpress.com)