Gun Owners Alliance The R E S T of the Story!

New action with Rep. Hostettler (R-Ind.) found below my commentary.

It is imperative we contact the NRA by e-mail at groots@NRA.org or at benefits@nrahq.org or call them at 1-800-NRA-3888. Let them know you expect for them to support this most recent Hostettler amendment. Gun Owners Alliance reported the following:

    "I have been told by a very reliable source, that the
     NRA tried to talk Hostettler out of introducing the
     amendment discussed below. Shame on the NRA for such
     a move!"

And then,  words from Neal Knox, as follows:

    "June 27 Neal Knox Report -- Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.)
     last night failed in what this morning's New York Times
     correctly called "an effort to scuttle an agreement between
     the Clinton administration and Smith & Wesson."

     The amendment to the Justice Department appropriations bill
     lost by a narrow 201-196.

     Immediately after the vote, a spokesman for Rep. Hostettler
     told me "We would have won it if NRA had lifted even one
     finger."

     Only Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) stood up to speak in favor of
     the amendment, which would have specifically prohibited the
     Justice Department from suing Smith & Wesson to enforce the
     agreement.

Now, do we see why Neal Knox also commented the following about the clout of the NRA at http://www.gunownersalliance.com/no-compromise.htm

    "Under the NRA Bylaws, the Board of Directors, not the
     Executive Vice President, sets NRA policies.  And NRA
     policies and actions will determine the future of our
     gun rights.

     That's why it is critical that you elect Directors who
     are both dedicated and knowledgeable, and who will not
     only talk about your Second Amendment rights but will
     stalwartly defend them.

     Where NRA goes, we all go. When NRA goes in the wrong
     direction, we all go in the wrong direction.  That's
     why it is sheer foolishness for members to resign their
     memberships. That's why you should vote in NRA Board
     elections.

Folks, he has a point! This is why we have launched the Gun Owners Alliance webring for a No-Compromise NRA, found at:

http://www.gunownersalliance.com/no-compromise.htm

We need to learn from our enemy to INFILTRATE the halls of the NRA with a strong, no-compromising Board of Directors, that will insist on change and get the job done! And you can only vote for the NRA board of directors by being at least a 5 year renewing member, or a life member of the NRA. The VERY people that resign their NRA memberships out of disgust (due to the compromise NRA is well known for), are exactly the members that could have cast the vote to throw the compromisers out of the NRA! Politicians will gladly sell their soul to get their hands on the estimated $80 million NRA spends on election cycles, and will do whatever the NRA tells them to do to keep the money coming! If we can just get NRA to tell them the right thing, we might turn this battle around! As well, if you are worried about promoting gun control by keeping your NRA membership, think again. It is a break even situation for them at the price they offer an annual membership.

It is imperative we contact the NRA by e-mail at groots@NRA.org or at benefits@nrahq.org or call them at 1-800-NRA-3888. Let them know you expect for them to support this most recent Hostettler amendment.

With Respect,

Gun Owners Alliance
Chris W. Stark - Director
**************************
 
 

http://www.nealknox.com/alerts/msg00300.html

July 6 Neal Knox Report -- Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) is talking to members of the Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee about preventing BATF from being involved in enforcing the Smith & Wesson/Clinton Administration agreement.

The subcommittee hasn't yet completed action on the Treasury Appropriations bill, and will probably hold a committee markup next week, "as soon as Congress gets back."

On April 7 Rep. Hostettler and 61 other Congressmen wrote Subcommittee Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) asking that the committee prevent BATF from participating in the "Oversight Commission" created by the S&W agreement.

Similar restrictions, offered as amendments to the Justice Department and Housing Urban Development funding bills, failed last month, but would probably survive attacks by the gun control crowd if incorporated in the committee bill.

NRA hasn't supported the earlier Hostettler amendments arguing they wouldn't apply to later agreements with other manufacturers.  Rep. Hostettler submitted NRA's broader language to the House parliamentarian, who said it would be out of order because it would be legislating on an appropriations bill, which is forbidden by House rules.

However, broader language might be possible if proposed in the subcommittee bill, though that might require approval of the Rules Committee.

The House sometimes winks at the rule against legislating on appropriations bills, but not when the Speaker opposes an amendment. The Wall Street Journal has reported NRA has left Hostettler to fight alone in deference to Speaker Hastert, who doesn't want any hard gun votes.

Other Treasury, Postal Appropriations Subcommittee members are Republicans Frank Wolfe (Va.), Anne Northrup (Ky.), Jo Anne Emerson (Mo.), John Sununu (N.H.) and John Peterson (Pa.).

Democrats are Steny Hoyer (Md.), Carrie Meek (Fla.), David Price (N.C.) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.).

Gun rights stalwart Virgil Goode (Va.), an Independent, is also a member and a signer of the letter to Chairman Kolbe.