The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press released the results of a survey last week that found a majority of the public views the federal government as a threat to their personal rights and freedoms.
The Pew report’s findings are no surprise. With talk of controls to prevent gun violence, there are always firearms enthusiasts who obsessively insist there can be no government infringement on Second Amendment rights. Americans have always chafed under tyranny, real or imagined. Shay’s Rebellion in 1786 and 1787 and the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791 established the tradition.
What’s different today is how the Gun Lobby shapes the conversation about policy relating to guns and public safety. The Gun Owners of America illustrates the tactic favored by the Gun Lobby. They work that nerve that seems to be built-in with Americans, as if we inherit it through our DNA. They take full advantage of the nagging suspicion many Americans have about losing their freedom and the Gun Lobby overtly spells out the solution. More guns, of course. Today, the Gun Owners of America ask on their website: “Will the U.S. Follow Germany's Example?” An editorial cautions its readers, “Victims of tyranny -- from the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, to the victims of Joseph Stalin and Idi Amin -- have all wished they were armed. We should not join their ranks of victimhood.”
Since reliable lobbyist disclosure record keeping began in 1998, The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) spent $30 million to influence members of Congress. The Gun Owners of America aren't too far behind. With only 300,000 members, it spent about $26 million between 1998 and 2012. Another organization, The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, disclosed $11 million in spending on its Washington DC lobbying activities. The big three gun lobbyists account for 2/3 of Gun Lobby spending since 1998. In the remaining 1/3 are Sig Sauer, Inc., Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bushmaster Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Beretta USA Corp., and Smith & Wesson, the manufacturers. They lobby for their own interests which include government contracts. Some of the manufacturers are full-fledged members of the Military Industrial Complex. US taxpayers purchase billions of dollars worth of weapons and ammo from them. These procurements supply domestic law enforcement, the US military, and also the militaries of a growing list of countries that qualify for military aid. The diagram below represents the various elements of the Gun Lobby with organizations that work together grouped to show the relationship between them.
The NRA and the gun manufacturers act as lobbyists and they also act as clients who hire professional lobbyist firms to represent them. These firms are known for the infamous revolving door.
Rep. John Carter (R - TX)
Ogilvy Government Relations is one of Washington’s most successful lobbyist firms. Its CEO, Chris Giblin, served as Chief of Staff to Congressman John Carter (R-TX). Log onto Carter’s House.gov webpage and the first thing you see is the picture here. Ogilvy’s President, Gordon Taylor, was Chief of Staff to Congressman Chris John (D-LA), a leader of the Blue Dog Caucus a few years ago.
Orion Strategies, another gun lobbying firm is headed by Randy Scheunemann who worked in the Bush administration under Rumsfeld as well as for Trent Lott.
Timmons and Co. is now owned by PPG which boasts that 54 members of the House and Senate have staff alumni working at their firm. PPG is a mega business that also owns Y&R (Young and Rubicam), the legendary Madison Avenue advertising firm. Lobbying is sophisticated advertising as much as anything else. Gun sales are heavily influenced depending whether buyers feel happy, sad, safe, fearful, or angry. Promoting a sense of danger and fear also maximizes a sense of urgent need for more guns among those who buy in.
Over the last couple of years, the Gun Lobby has been working hard to bring about legislation that would legalize nationwide concealed carry. How can a patriot fight against tyranny if the concealed carry laws stop at the state line? On Nov 16 2011, their bill passed in the House: 272 - 154 (Roll call no. 852). All but a few Republicans voted in favor and 43 Democrats joined them, even though the Congressional Record documents serious concerns about the wisdom of this legislation. The issues raised against it included:
• infringement on states' rights and need to protect their citizens from gun violence;
• endangerment of law enforcement officers by imposing concealed carry reciprocity among the states;
• the threat to public safety resulting from carrying concealed guns in public.
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 - HR3543, HR822, S2188, S2213
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Who lobbied for it? Gun Owners Of America, N R A
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House Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] – 245 Cosponsors - 2/18/2011
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House Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Timothy V. [IL-15] – 0 Cosponsors - 12/1/2011
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Senate Sponsor: Sen Begich, Mark [AK] – 3 Cosponsors - 3/13/2012
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Senate Sponsor: Sen Thune, John [SD] – 34 Cosponsors = 3/20/2012
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Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state.
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Here’s a list of the Democrats who voted in favor:
Altmire, Jason
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Pennsylvania
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Baca, Joe
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California
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Barrow, John
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Georgia
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Berkley, Shelley
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Nevada
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Bishop Jr., Sanford D.
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Georgia
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Boren, Dan
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Oklahoma
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Boswell, Leonard
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Iowa
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Cardoza, Dennis
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California
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Carson, André
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Indiana
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Chandler, Ben
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Kentucky
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Cooper, Jim
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Tennessee
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Costello, Jerry
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Illinois
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Courtney, Joe
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Connecticut
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Critz, Mark
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Pennsylvania
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Cuellar, Henry
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Texas
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DeFazio, Peter
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Oregon
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Dingell, John
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Michigan
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Donnelly, Joe
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Indiana
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Green, Gene
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Texas
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Gutierrez, Luis
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Illinois
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Heinrich, Martin T.
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New Mexico
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Higgins, Brian
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New York
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Hinchey, Maurice
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New York
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Hochul, Kathy
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New York
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Holden, Tim
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Pennsylvania
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Kind, Ron
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Wisconsin
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Kissell, Larry
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North Carolina
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Larsen, Rick
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Washington
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Lujan, Ben R.
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New Mexico
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Matheson, Jim
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Utah
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McIntyre, Mike
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North Carolina
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Michaud, Michael
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Maine
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Owens, Bill
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New York
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Peterson, Collin C.
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Minnesota
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Rahall, Nick
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West Virginia
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Reyes, Silvestre
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Texas
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Ross, Mike
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Arkansas
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Ryan, Tim
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Ohio
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Schrader, Kurt
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Oregon
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Sewell, Terri A.
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Alabama
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Shuler, Heath
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North Carolina
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Smith, Adam
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Washington
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Walz, Timothy J.
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Minnesota
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The Gun Lobby’s distrust and discontent with government is overt in a piece of legislation it promoted to keep law enforcement from having access to information about purchasers of multiple rifles and shotguns.
Rep. Justin Amash, the bill's sponsor, described it in the Public Relations “brag” posted on his House webpage:
"Under a policy announced last year and currently being challenged in court, the U.S. Justice Department requires all gun dealers in the southwest to report sales of two or more of certain semi-automatic rifles to a single buyer.
The scheme, known as “Demand Letter 3,” targets gun buyers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The more than 8,500 gun dealers in those states are required to report to the federal government on sales of semi-automatic rifles greater than .22 caliber and able to accept detachable magazines. Selling two or more of those “long guns” to a person within five days triggers the reporting requirement.
“The government has no business tracking the sale of rifles to law-abiding citizens,” said Amash. “Americans should not be put on a watch list simply for exercising their constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.”
A bill to prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking and cataloguing the purchases of multiple rifles and shotguns. HR3814, S570
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Who Lobbied for it? Gun Owners Of America, NRA
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House Sponsor: Rep Amash, Justin [MI-3] – 30 Cosponsors - 1/24/2012
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Senate Sponsor: Sen Tester, Jon [MT] – 33 Cosponsors - 3/14/2011
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Prohibits the use of federal funds to require a person licensed to deal in firearms to report information to the Department of Justice regarding the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person.
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The bill didn’t pass but it found 30 cosponsors in the House and 33 in the Senate including Democrat, Bob Casey.
House Cosponsors
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Senate Cosponsors
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Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2]
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Sen Ayotte, Kelly [NH]
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Rep Austria, Steve [OH-7]
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Sen Barrasso, John [WY]
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Rep Benishek, Dan [MI-1]
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Sen Baucus, Max [MT]
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Rep Boustany, Charles W., Jr. [LA-7]
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Sen Begich, Mark [AK]
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Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5]
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Sen Blunt, Roy [MO]
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Rep Chaffetz, Jason [UT-3]
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Sen Boozman, John [AR]
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Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4]
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Sen Burr, Richard [NC]
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Rep Duncan, Jeff [SC-3]
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Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA]
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Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. [TN-2]
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Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA]
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Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4]
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Sen Coburn, Tom [OK]
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Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2]
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Sen Cochran, Thad [MS]
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Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1]
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Sen Ensign, John [NV]
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Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6]
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Sen Enzi, Michael B. [WY]
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Rep Gosar, Paul A. [AZ-1]
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Sen Graham, Lindsey [SC]
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Rep Green, Gene [TX-29]
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Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT]
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Rep Huizenga, Bill [MI-2]
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Sen Heller, Dean [NV]
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Rep Johnson, Bill [OH-6]
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Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK]
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Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3]
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Sen Johanns, Mike [NE]
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Rep Labrador, Raul R. [ID-1]
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Sen Johnson, Ron [WI]
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Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9]
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Sen Manchin, Joe, III [WV]
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Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [IL-16]
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Sen Moran, Jerry [KS]
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Rep McClintock, Tom [CA-4]
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Sen Murkowski, Lisa [AK]
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Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11]
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Sen Nelson, Ben [NE]
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Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14]
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Sen Paul, Rand [KY]
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Rep Pompeo, Mike [KS-4]
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Sen Portman, Rob [OH]
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Rep Quayle, Benjamin [AZ-3]
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Sen Risch, James E. [ID]
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Rep Schweikert, David [AZ-5]
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Sen Roberts, Pat [KS]
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Rep Scott, Tim [SC-1]
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Sen Rubio, Marco [FL]
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Rep Walberg, Tim [MI-7]
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Sen Sessions, Jeff [AL]
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Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. [GA-3]
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Sen Thune, John [SD]
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Sen Toomey, Pat [PA]
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Sen Vitter, David [LA]
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Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS]
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Since the mass murders of 2012, mental health became the unsolvable problem used as an excuse for doing nothing to prevent gun violence. It’s almost unbelievable that the Gun Lobby would have pushed a bill to make sure that vets aren’t disqualified from owning guns because of possible mental health issues.
Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act - HR1898. S1707
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Who Lobbied for it? Gun Owners Of America, N R A
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House Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] – 4 Cosponsors - 10/13/2011
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Senate Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] - 21 Cosponsors
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A bill to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent. Prohibits, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), considering any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness from being considered adjudicated as a mental defective for purposes of the right to receive or transport firearms without the order or finding of a judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others.
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It’s been 4 ½ years since the Supreme Court decision in the Washington DC v Heller case on Second Amendment rights. To a Gun Lobbyist, that means it’s time to mess with the nation’s capital again. After all, our tyrannical government is located there.
To restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia - HR645
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Who Lobbied for it? Gun Owners Of America, N R A.
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House Sponsor: Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4] - 2/10/2011 – 174 Cosponsors
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Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. A bill to declare that no other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, transporting for legitimate purposes, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act.
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There’s a clear indication where the Gun Lobby stands on background checks. It also promoted a bill to repeal the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. That’s the legislation that instituted the federal background checks that are in force to this day.
Second Amendment Protection Act of 2011 - HR2615
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Who lobbied for it? Gun Owners Of America
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House Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] – 0 Cosponsors - 7/21/2011
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Repeals the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act of 1993. Restores and revives any provisions amended or repealed by such Acts as if such Acts had not been enacted.
Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the federal criminal code distinguishing firearms used or suitable for sporting, recreational, or cultural purposes from firearms used generally. Repeals the Child Safety Lock Act of 2005 and other provisions of the federal criminal code relating to gun storage and gun safety devices.
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For sheer conspiracy paranoia, nothing beats the bill sponsored by Ben Quayle, during his brief two-year tenure as a Congressman representing the upscale city of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Ben’s dad, former Vice President Dan Quayle, is currently Chairman of Cerberus Global Investments, LLC, which owns Bushmaster Firearms, maker of the AR15. Cerberus is supposed to be trying to dump sell Bushmaster and the whole Freedom Group family of companies that make guns and ammo. Ben’s name appeared as a cosponsor on quite a few of the bills that were pushed by the Gun Lobby.
Second Amendment Sovereignty Act of 2012 - HR5846
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Who lobbied for this? Gun Owners Of America
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House Sponsor: Rep Quayle, Benjamin [AZ-3] – 24 Cosponsors - 5/18/2012
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Expresses the sense of Congress that U.S. sovereignty and the constitutionally protected freedoms of American gun owners must be upheld and not be undermined by a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
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These bills are just a sampling of the legislation that gun lobbyists promoted during the 112th Session of Congress (2011-2012.) All of the information cited was compiled from records submitted by lobbyists to the US Congress pursuant to the Lobbyist Disclosure Act. The records are indicative of an aggressive campaign to reshape American society
in a way that goes beyond the simple promotion of an industry's business interests. Lobbying the legislative process, promoting revisionist versions of American history, arguing against scientific research on gun violence, disregarding reasoned analysis of evidence and statistics, to minimize the impact on hundreds of thousands of Americans who are directly confronted by gun violence every year doesn't add up to a good intention no matter how many allowances Americans continue to make.
To close, I offer a brief excerpt from the Supreme Court decision of June 26 2008 in the Washington DC v Heller Second Amendment rights case. Here, there is a place to begin to find a way out of the blind alley where our country has been led.
"Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons."