The following was taken from http://www.awbansunset.com3/1/04: Final Push – AWB Vote is Tomorrow, CALL AND FAX YOUR SENATORS!
Things are developing rapidly regarding tomorrow's vote on the Feinstein amendment to renew the so-called "assault weapons" ban.
• Charles Schumer (D-NY) this afternoon delivered a speech on the Senate floor in support of the ban that was totally off the scale in terms of misinformation, insisting that there is "no civilian use" for these guns (including target shooting and home defense), and implying that the ban has had a significant effect on crime. Keep in mind, the Clinton-era Department of Justice Study on the effectiveness of the ban stated conclusively that the ban had NOT had an effect on crime (or, more specifically, that "even the maximum theoretically achievable preventive effect of the ban on outcomes such as the gun murder rate is almost certainly too small to detect statistically"). Schumer also repeatedly predicted that tomorrow's vote would be VERY close, either winning or losing by 1 vote, or resulting in a tie (he requested the presence of Vice President Cheney in case a tie-breaking vote was needed).
• Reliably anti-gun senators and presidential candidates John Kerry (D-MA) and John Edwards (D-NC) have both indicated they will be present for tomorrow's vote, taking a break from their campaigns to win the Democratic nomination.
• The Brady Campaign is reporting that Sen. George Allen (R-VA) has "discarded his commitment and announced he'll vote against reauthorizing the assault weapons ban." Of course, given the source, this should be taken with a grain of salt. But it is nonetheless very encouraging.
• Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) has indicated he will oppose the ban renewal, but did not rule out the possibility of changing his mind.
• Other senators considered to be "on the fence" and possible swing votes include: Feingold (D-WI), Voinovich (R-OH), Smith (R-OR), Fitzgerald (R-IL), and Lugar (R-IN).It is absolute IMPERATIVE that you call your senators tonight (leave voicemail) and tomorrow FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. This is particularly crucial if you happen to be represented by one of the senators listed above. We cannot stress this enough. If you have access to a fax machine, fax your senators a letter too.
If we lose tomorrow, our position is not compromised... we never expected to win in the Senate anyway, instead directing most of our efforts towards the House. But the fact that we appear to have a fighting chance in the Senate is a testament to what we all have accomplished over the past year or two. We are making our strong opposition to this ban known, and are forcing many senators to think long and hard about how they will cast their vote. Winning tomorrow's vote will effectively kill any chance of the ban being renewed this year.
You can reach your senators' offices through this toll-free number: 1-800-648-3516