Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 23:20:48 -0700 From: Jeff Chan To: firearms-alert Subject: GOA: Istook amendment limits tax-funded anti-constition lobbying Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 10:35:57 -0400 From: Craig Peterson To: best-rkba Subject: [davisda@rmii.com: GOA fax] Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 20:17:24 -0400 From: davisda@rmii.com (Douglas Davis) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: GOA fax (Friday, October 20) -- For over a month, Gun Owners of America, along with you and all of our grassroots supporters, have been working hard to pass the Istook amendment This amendment would severely restrict welfare money to organizations that have lobbied for years in favor of restrictive gun control laws -- groups like the American Bar Association and the American Association of Retired Persons. A month ago at this time, we were going to lose the battle for the Istook amendment But you have helped turn the tide When GOA announced a Western Union hotline to send telegrams to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to House Appropriation Committee Chairman Bob Livingston and to Sen Bob Dole, you guys bombarded their offices with telegrams In the first week. you guys sent over 500 telegrams between the three of them. We asked you to call their offices as well The office of Rep Bob Livingston, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has stated they have been deluged with "millions of calls " House Speaker Newt Gingrich received so many calls they were putting people through to a recording to take messages In fact, House Speaker Newt Gingrich reversed course, and now appears to be committed to passing the Istook amendment He has even stated that "we will keep this appropriations bill locked in conference until Christmas if we have to " This is a clear reversal from earlier statements, when he was reportedly telling House conferees that they could vote for a bill that didn't contain the Istook amendment. Here's the current situation: The House leadership told GOA today that a compromise has been struck and the amendment is now termed the "Simpson- lstook" amendment While the amendment is a little bit weaker than the original Istook version, it still takes a HUGE STEP towards curtailing welfare dollars to lobbyists. The other side is pulling out the stops to defeat this amendment They are using the Internet; they have set up an 1-800 patch-through phone number for the grassroots to call Congress; they are bombarding the Senate with mail; and they have six full-time lobbyists (no doubt, made possible in part by your tax dollars) lobbying against the Simpson-lstook amendment in Washington, D C Sources on Capitol Hill expect that the Treasury/Postal conference committee may send H R 2020 to the floor of the Senate next week WITH THE SIMPSON ISTOOK AMENDMENT INTACT! HERE'S WHAT TO DO: Call your senators (1-800-962-3524 1-800-872-8513 or 202-224-3121) and ask them to support the Simpson-lstook amendment Realize this, the Treasury/Postal bill is not a bill that gun owners would generally support After all, the bill contains the BATF appropriations Thus, you don't need to ask your Senators to support H R 2020 Just ask them to support the Simpson-lstook amendment, and ask them to oppose any effort to pull the amendment out of the bill In supporting Simpson-lstook as a rider to the appropriations bill, we're simply trying to "make lemonade from a lemon " This is your last chance to call Western Union (1-800-651-1GUN or 1486) and send telegrams to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston The telegrams urge these leaders to do everything in their power to make sure the Treasury/Postal Appropriation conferees keep the Istook amendment in H R 2020 All three leaders are urged to do more than just support the Istook amendment; they are prompted to lobby the conferees directly and insist that they "veto" the bill if the Istook amendment is removed A charge of $8 95 will be charged to your phone bill . doug davis