Campaign Finance "Reform" Looms
as Threat to Free Speech
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"...[W]hat this bill does in
its purest form is it gives the media conglomerates... and the politicians free run of the political system
and freezes everyone else out..." |
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-- NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre |
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Rep. Armey (R-Tx) |
The McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan campaign finance "reform" bills (S. 27
and H.R. 2356, respectively) are poised for action in the very near
future.
Last week, proponents of the House of Representatives' version
of this legislative assault on the First Amendment attained the 218
signatures needed on a discharge petition for H.R. 2356. And this week,
House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.) indicated that the bill would
be brought up for consideration by the full House very soon.
Although
the House already considered campaign finance "reform" last
year - rejecting the proposal - backers of the Shays-Meehan package were
able to convince 218 U.S. Representatives to sign their petition.
Armey remains opposed to H.R. 2356, predicting that its passage would
result in "a substantial reduction in First Amendment rights across the
country," according to "Regulation, Law & Economics," a publication of
the
Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
While Rep. Armey is working on an
alternative bill, he stated opponents of H.R. 2356 would not "stand in
the way" of the House rules governing the discharge petition.
Wayne LaPierre |
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre,
in an interview with Fox News's Neil Cavuto, said that if H.R. 2356 should pass, "I'm afraid
we're going to lose the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects
press, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and
freedom of petition. And what they are doing here in this so-called
campaign finance bill cuts to the heart of the First Amendment."
LaPierre went on to explain, "I'm saying that what this bill does in
its purest form is it gives the media conglomerates with all their
billions of dollars and the politicians free run of the political system
and freezes everyone else out. And that's not America."
Please contact your U.S. Representative once again at (202) 225-3121,
and urge him to oppose H.R. 2356. For those on the Internet, you can
also find contact information by using the "Write Your Reps" feature at
NRAILA.org. Be sure to tell your Representatives that we hold all of
the Constitution to be inviolate - including the First and the Second
Amendments!
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