CONGRESS GOES ON AUGUST RECESS
Congress is scheduled to go on its August/Labor Day recess today, and will remain on break until September 3 for the U.S. Senate, and September 4 for the U.S. House. During this time, your Senators and Representatives will be back home in their respective states and districts. Many lawmakers use this time to hold town hall meetings, where they can report on what they`ve been doing in Washington, and take questions from their constituents. These meetings offer a tremendous opportunity for you to personally voice your opposition to any additional legislation that further erodes freedom, and to promote legislation that bolsters our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Please contact your lawmakers` district offices and ask when they plan to hold their town hall meetings during the August recess. If you do not know the number for your lawmakers` district offices, you can use the "Write Your Reps" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683.
If you get a chance to meet with your lawmakers, be sure to tell them to:
Oppose
any attacks on gun shows, including S. 767, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and S. 890, introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Oppose any efforts to give the FBI authority to retain records of law-abiding gun purchasers, thus invading the privacy rights of honest citizens. The House has already rejected such a proposal on an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, but the Senate may take up S. 1253—introduced by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)—which seeks to establish this registry.
Support H.R. 2037—introduced by U.S. Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Chris John (D-La.)—which seeks to prohibit reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt law-abiding gun manufacturers.
In addition to attending meetings and speaking out in support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please forward the dates, times, and locations of any town hall meetings to your family members and friends who support the Second Amendment, and to the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, so we may compile this information and share it with the pro-gun community. Please forward this information to the Grassroots Division by calling our toll-free number, faxing to (703) 267-3918, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
SENATE REJECTS ATTEMPT TO REVERSE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
Last week we reported that the Bush Administration put an end to the costly and ineffective gun-surrender program implemented through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by Bill Clinton and his HUD Secretary, Andrew Cuomo. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected an attempt by Senator Chuck Schumer to reinstate the program. Schumer`s effort was unceremoniously dumped on a 65-33 vote, with a strong, bipartisan majority refusing to reinstate this shameless waste of taxpayer funds.
AG ASHCROFT SEEKS COMMENTS ON NICS
Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are accepting public comment on reforming the National Instant Check System (NICS). The comment period will run until September 4, 2001. Be sure to take the time to let the DOJ know you would like to see NICS run as it was originally intended—efficiently, instantly, and without the threat of it being abused to establish a registry of law-abiding gun purchasers. Tell the DOJ that the background checks on lawful gun purchasers through NICS should be processed instantly, as the system`s name implies; persistent system crashes must be eliminated; and there should be no retention of personal information on any law-abiding gun purchaser whose attempt to acquire a firearm that is subject to a NICS check is not denied by NICS. Please submit your written comments to:
Mr. Timothy Munson, Section Chief
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Module A-3
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306-0147
