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NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
Vol. 7, No. 29
HOUSE PASSES APPROPRIATIONS BILL WITH GOODE AMENDMENT ATTACHED
On Thursday, the U.S. House passed the 2001 Treasury, Postal Service and
General Government Appropriations bill containing an important amendment
by pro-gun U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode (Ind.-Va.). Goode's amendment (see FAX
Alert Vol. 7, No. 28) would prohibit the Treasury, Postal Service, and
other agencies from granting or withholding firearms contracts on the
basis of gun makers' agreement to arbitrary "codes of conduct" relating to
their operating or design practices in importing, manufacturing, or
dealing in firearms or ammunition -- such as the coerced agreement signed
recently by Smith & Wesson (S&W). On Tuesday, there was an effort to
remove Goode's amendment in the House Committee on Appropriations by
anti-gun extremist U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), but she was defeated on
a voice vote, with opposition to Lowey's effort coming from both sides of
the aisle. U.S. Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and David Obey (D-Wis.) both
deserve a great deal of thanks for speaking out against the New York
lawmaker, and even Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), normally a foe of the pro-gun
community, opposed Lowey.
The U.S. Senate also has been considering the Treasury/Postal
Appropriations legislation, and, thanks to the efforts of U.S. Sen.
Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), language similar to the Goode amendment was
included during subcommittee markup of the Senate's version of the
legislation. Sen. Shelby, along with Sens. Ben Nighthorse Campbell
(R-Colo.), and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) deserve credit for thwarting the attempt
by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to strip the language that would prohibit
establishing politically-motivated purchase preferences for government
firearms contracts. As with the Goode amendment, the Senate language does
not refer specifically to the Smith & Wesson Sellout (see Special FAX
Alert 3/20/00), but it was clearly inspired by the concern that the
Clinton-Gore Administration would fulfill its threat to impose purchase
preferences on the Department of Treasury, Postal Service, and all other
agencies covered by this bill's jurisdiction. As mentioned last week, HUD
Secretary Andrew Cuomo has already proposed such purchase preferences for
federal law enforcement agencies, and his proposal would encourage or
require the federal government to give highly preferential procurement
treatment to firearms manufacturers, like S&W, who sign coerced agreements
restricting their otherwise legitimate activities. Sen. Shelby also stood
fast during Senate Appropriations Committee debate on the legislation,
where he derailed attempts by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Frank
Lautenberg (D-N.J.) to strip the purchase preference prohibition language.
The next stage will be the floor of the U.S. Senate, where we can expect
anti-gun extremists such as Feinstein and Lautenberg to continue their
efforts to reward S&W's craven attack on the Second Amendment. Call your
U.S. Senators and urge them to oppose any attempts to strip language
prohibiting purchase preferences for government contracts on firearms from
the 2001 Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations
bill. You can contact your Senators by calling (202) 224-3121, or by using
the "Write Your Reps" feature on NRAILA.org.
PRO-GUN COMMUNITY SUFFERS A TRAGIC LOSS
U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.) passed away on Tuesday, a day after he
had undergone surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by a
cerebral hemorrhage. The Senior Senator from Georgia was a staunch
supporter of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and his absence will be
deeply felt by those who worked to defend the Second Amendment on Capitol
Hill. NRA extends its heartfelt condolences to Sen. Coverdell's family and
friends in their time of grief.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
FLORIDA
The NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida (USF) filed a lawsuit against the
City of South Miami in response to the City passing a local ordinance that
mandates trigger locks or locking devices on all firearms in the city -- a
clear violation of Florida's preemption law. Florida's anti-gun Attorney
General Bob Butterworth (D) issued an opinion Tuesday, July 11, saying
that South Miami's ordinance doesn't violate state law, and that the City
can keep its illegal ordinance until a court tells it otherwise. USF
Executive Director and former NRA President Marion Hammer responded to
Butterworth's opinion by stating, "Butterworth's opinion is bogus. The
ordinance is illegal and it's a blatant political opinion. He knows it, we
know it, and any lawyer worth his salt knows it." Nationally recognized
and respected constitutional expert and attorney Stephen P. Halbrook has
been retained as lead co-counsel to represent NRA and USF.
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