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Two Great Pro-Gun Amendments In The Senate — But Harry Reid Stands In Our Way
Thank you for all your activism so far!

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- Senator John Ensign of Nevada offered his amendment to repeal D.C.’s draconian gun ban today.

But Senators John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana have also stepped up to the plate. They filed an amendment that would result in REAL national concealed carry reciprocity — without adversely affecting no-permit states like Alaska and Vermont.

So now the battle lines are drawn! By the end of the week, the Senate will vote on whether to rule these two pro-gun amendments out of order.

The vote could come on a so-called “cloture” motion to cut off debate (and thus kill the Ensign and Thune/Vitter amendments). Moreover, if the underlying bill is then passed, the virulently anti-gun jurisdiction of the District of Columbia will be rewarded with a voting member of the House of Representatives.

But first, a little background on the two amendments:

You’ve all heard of the various “microstamping” proposals crafted by the anti-gunners to ban guns and ammunition nationwide.

The anti-gunners would do this by serial number “microstamping” requirements which are so onerous that guns (or ammunition) would become prohibitively expensive in all 50 states.

In the wake of the Heller case, the District of Columbia’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision declaring its gun laws unconstitutional was to pass legislation which will, as a practical matter, continue its current policy of denying gun licenses to its citizens. But, to add insult to injury, it added a whole bunch of additional anti-gun provisions.

One was a requirement that most guns used for self-defense be capable of “microstamping” a cartridge with a unique serial number.  Aside from being useless for identifying any criminal who pockets his spent brass, this provision would, even if it were technologically possible, make guns so expensive that no one would buy them.

If a few more liberal jurisdictions follow suit, this could start a chain reaction so that gun manufacturers will eventually be forced to manufacture ALL guns to meet the new microstamping standards.

The Ensign amendment would completely repeal D.C.’s gun ban and, in the process, help stave off the push for microstamping.

Next, the Thune/Vitter amendment on concealed carry reciprocity is an idea whose time has come. Why should your right to self-defense stop at the state line?

But it must be the right kind of national reciprocity. It must protect states like Alaska and Vermont which do not require a permit to carry concealed at all and it must be done in a Constitutional manner that protects State’s rights.

The Thune/Vitter amendment would do these things — it is REAL national reciprocity.

But the problem is this: Nevada Senator Harry Reid has moved to cut off debate on the D.C. bill — using a parliamentary maneuver known as a “cloture” petition — for the sole purpose of ruling such pro-gun amendments out of order.

You see, Barack Obama and the liberals who run Congress hate guns.  They hate guns so much that they would probably be willing to kill the District’s voting representative in order to preserve the District’s gun ban.

The next two days are crucial.  While there will be votes in the Senate throughout the day on Thursday — which may include either of the two pro-gun amendments — it is likely that the true focus will be on Friday’s cloture vote.

ACTION: Contact your two Senators and urge them to vote AGAINST cloture on S. 160 until the Senate has had an opportunity to vote for all pro-gun amendments. As usual, you can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

I urge you in the strongest terms to vote against cloture on S. 160 until senators have had an opportunity to vote on pro-gun amendments, such as those offered by Senators Ensign and Thune.

The issue is not whether to give D.C. a voting representative.  The issue is whether to impose a “gag rule” on those who oppose the District’s efforts to use its draconian gun laws to undermine gun rights in other states.

Cloture — invoked for the cynical purpose of protecting D.C.’s anti-gun laws and to silence other pro-gun voices — is not a vote on D.C. representation.  It is a vote against the Second Amendment.

Please let me know you do not favor silencing pro-gun voices.  Please do not vote for cloture until those voices are heard.

And once debate is allowed to continue, I ask that you vote in favor of the Ensign amendment to repeal the District’s gun ban, as well as the Thune amendment for national concealed carry reciprocity.

Sincerely,

****************************

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Congress to Revisit Hard-rock Mining Reform at House Hearing
Sportsmen’s coalition continues to advocate common-sense reform of 1872 law, urges establishment of funds for fish and wildlife restoration.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON – -(AmmoLand.com)- As the U.S. House of Representatives weighs revision of hard-rock mining law at a Thursday morning hearing, Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining is reiterating the need for common-sense updates to the General Mining Law of 1872, America’s most archaic natural resources legislation.

The House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is convening the legislative hearing to consider HR 699, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009. HR 699 is identical to a bill passed by the House last year in a 244-166 bipartisan vote. The bill’s supporters hope to expedite passage of HR 699 in the House and to carry that momentum on to the Senate, where similar reform efforts stalled last year.

“Reform of the 1872 Mining Law is long overdue,” said Tom St. Hilaire, vice president for campaign management for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Congress must act now to safeguard valuable habitat and uphold public-lands sporting opportunities by promoting common-sense revisions – including strengthened conservation measures, reasonable royalties on minerals taken from public lands, an abandoned mine cleanup fund that addresses wildlife impacts, discretion for public land managers and a prohibition of public-lands patenting.”

SUSM, an alliance of organizations and individual grassroots partners spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation, the TRCP and Trout Unlimited, urges fundamental changes to the 1872 Mining Law to enable conservation of fish and wildlife resources and a future for America’s sporting heritage. The sportsmen’s coalition has developed policy recommendations for Congress as it deliberates reform of the 1872 law.

“Sportsmen appreciate the sound leadership of House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall in advancing these much-needed reforms to hard-rock mining law,” said Jim Lyon, NWF senior vice president. “Rep. Rahall’s commitment to the responsible administration of our nation’s public lands – and his efforts to refocus the attention of Congress on this important issue – go a long way toward better management of fish and wildlife habitat and our shared natural resources.”

HR 699 would initiate the first-ever significant change to the 1872 Mining Law, which governs the extraction of hard-rock minerals such as gold, silver and uranium on Western public lands. Under HR 699, sales of public lands to mining corporations would end; national forest roadless areas, BLM wilderness study areas and other sensitive lands would be placed off limits to new mining claims; and royalties would be assessed, with two-thirds of those monies put in an abandoned mine reclamation fund to help restore fish and wildlife habitat.

“Fifty percent of the nation’s blue ribbon trout streams and 80 percent of the most important big-game habitats are found on public lands,” said Rob Masonis, vice president of Western conservation for TU. “It’s high time to bring this 137-year-old law into the 21st century – for the good of America’s public lands, the priceless fish and wildlife populations they support and the hunting and fishing traditions they sustain.”

Under the 1872 General Mining Law, more than 270 million acres of federal land are open to hard-rock mining, mostly in the Rocky Mountain West. Because the 1872 law has never been meaningfully reformed, many of America’s most treasured public lands are at risk, including important wildlife habitat and hunting areas, valuable fisheries, popular recreation sites, vital municipal water supplies and sensitive roadless areas.

Learn more about Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining

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