Legislative Alert

(Thursday, June 22, 2000) -- Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) set back
the gun grabbers' agenda yesterday when he successfully forced a
pro-gun amendment through the House. The provision curbs the
administration's ability to bring more communities into the federal
agreement with Smith & Wesson.

"White House officials are railing against [the] House vote,"
reported the Associated Press early this morning." Because of the
Hostettler amendment, the Clinton administration will not be able to
issue press releases or have its lawyers help the coalition of state
and local governments that are conspiring against the gun industry.

The coalition, known as the Communities for Safer Guns Coalition, is
being spearheaded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). The Hostettler amendment was attached to the bill funding
the Department of HUD and narrowly passed on the House floor by a
vote of 218-207. Another Hostettler amendment (described below) was
offered to the HUD appropriations bill, but it failed by a close
vote of 219-206. The bill number was H.R. 4635.

Already, 411 localities have joined the coalition and have agreed to
make Smith & Wesson firearms the preferred guns for their law
enforcement agencies. But Hostettler stated that this legislative
victory was "pretty significant" because it would mean that "local
law enforcement agencies won't feel pressure from a federal
agency... in the procurement of firearms."

This victory follows the Hostettler win on the Department of Defense
authorization bill last month. That amendment stops the DoD from
showing any favoritism to Smith & Wesson when purchasing firearms
for the military.

GOA Members Alone On The Front Lines; Activists Must Step Up And
Help Hostettler Again

Invigorated by this recent victory, Rep. Hostettler now plans to
offer a similar amendment to the bill funding the Department of
Justice (DoJ). This new amendment will prevent DoJ from expending
any funds to enforce the Smith & Wesson agreement.

If successful, DoJ would not be able to sue Smith & Wesson -- or any
other company -- for failing to abide by the terms of the agreement
signed in March.

ACTION: Support The Next Hostettler Amendment; Hold Legislative
"Traitors" Accountable

As far as the grassroots is concerned, GOA members and activists are
all alone in this fight. Thus, your help is needed desperately so
that John Hostettler has all the grassroots support possible. There
are two action items today that are tremendously important. All of
you should act on Action Item #1, while only some of you will need
to act on Action Item #2. As always, you can use the GOA
Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm
to identify and contact Representatives.

1. Ask your Representative to vote IN FAVOR of the Hostettler
amendment that will be offered to the Commerce-Justice-State bill.
(There is still no number assigned to this bill.) This next
amendment is VERY IMPORTANT. Please see suggested letter below.

2. Hold those legislators accountable who voted AGAINST Hostettler
yesterday (see weblinks for Roll Call votes and pre-written letter
below).

ACTION ITEM #1: Ask Representatives To Support The Next Hostettler
Amendment

Rep. John Hostettler expects to offer an amendment on Friday that
will stop the Justice Department from being able to enforce the
recent Smith & Wesson agreement. If this amendment passes, the
government will be strictly forbidden from taking S&W -- or any
other company -- to court for failing to abide by the terms of that
agreement. This amendment will bolster the resolve of the gun
industry to keep away from Smith & Wesson. And it will prevent the
Clinton administration from using extortion (via the threat of a
lawsuit) to browbeat other gun makers into joining the gun control
agreement.

----- URGENT pre-written letter -----

Dear Representative:

I support the amendment that Rep. John Hostettler is expected to
offer to the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill. This
important amendment will stop the Justice Department from in any way
enforcing the gun control "legislation" that was foisted upon the
country in the Smith & Wesson agreement back in March.

The Smith & Wesson agreement is legislation through litigation, and
it would regulate and restrict ALL firearms sold by dealers that
carry Smith and Wesson products. This horrible agreement is not
limited to just S&W. It will also restrict the sales of firearms
made by Glock, Remington, H&K, etc.

Almost as dangerous is the fact that the gun control in the S&W
agreement was unilaterally imposed by the President's administration
upon the people of this nation.

Gun Owners of America supports the Hostettler language; and I hope
that you will also support this amendment to the CJS funding bill.
Please let me know what you intend to do.

---------------------------------------------------------------

ACTION ITEM #2: Hold Legislators Accountable For Voting Against
Common Sense Legislation That Will Stop Clinton From Unilaterally
Imposing Gun Control Upon The Nation

A. Rep. Hostettler forced a vote yesterday on the VA-HUD
appropriations bill to curb the Clinton administration's ability to
bring more state and local governments into the federal agreement
with Smith & Wesson. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-207.

B. Rep. Hostettler also forced a vote yesterday that would have
forbidden HUD outright from enforcing the gun control agreement that
was signed in March by the Clinton administration and Smith &
Wesson. This amendment failed by a vote of 219-206.

NOTE: The letter below can be sent to any legislator who voted
against one or both of the above Hostettler amendments. To view
these votes, please go to http://www.gunowners.org/cgv.htm on the
GOA website and select House 2000 (106-2).

----- Pre-written message -----

Dear Representative:

I was disappointed to see that you voted against language offered by
Rep. John Hostettler to rein in an executive department that is out
of control. On Wednesday, June 21, Rep. Hostettler offered two
amendments to the HUD appropriations bill. Both amendments were
very important. Both related to the recent gun control agreement
signed by HUD and Smith & Wesson. I was hoping that you would have
supported both of these amendments.

The Clinton administration has no business imposing gun control upon
the nation through agreements that are extorted from the gun
industry. It is shameful that the administration uses the threat of
lawsuits to implement far-reaching gun control agreements.

I hope you will change your voting behavior to support Second
Amendment freedoms. Thank you.