Congratulations!
Through your efforts, you have succeeded in killing the best
opportunity that anti-gunners had to extend the ban on roughly two
hundred semiautomatic firearms.
Liberals had intended to offer the semi-auto ban as a "killer
amendment" to class action reform legislation which was considered by
the Senate last week. At first, there was every indication that
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was going to allow anti-gunners
like Sen. Feinstein to offer the gun ban amendment.
But after you bombarded Frist's office with demands that he prevent
the semi-auto amendment, Frist -- in a parliamentary move that we
suggested -- took steps to procedurally block all "killer
amendments," including the semi-auto ban.
Liberal anti-gunners whined and screamed on the Senate floor, and
threatened to kill the class action bill in retaliation. But we
appear to have won the battle for now, as the class action bill has
been pulled from the floor.
This victory is huge. Compared to the ill-fated strategy used on the
gun makers' protection act (S. 1805) earlier in the year, the outcome
on the class action bill was as good as could be expected in the
poisoned environment on the Hill. Consider the following:
* The best chance for reenacting the semi-auto ban prior to its
September 13 expiration is now dead;
* Unlike the gun liability bill -- defeated 8-to-90 in March after
it was loaded down with "killer amendments" -- pro-business Senators
can still bring the class action bill back up at some later point
during this session;
* Unlike with the gun liability bill, the class action bill did not
offer anti-gun Democrats a week of Senate floor time to promote their
agenda; and
* Those anti-gunners who cynically pretended to support the class
action bill were forced to make a choice between politically powerful
constituencies -- between the pro-business community and the trial
lawyers.
ACTION: Write Senator Frist. Congratulate him on his use of the
rules in connection with the class action bill, and thank him for
preventing consideration of the semiautomatic ban.
You can call Senator Frist at 202-224-3344, or go to
http://www.frist.senate.gov and select "Contact Senator Frist" under
the "About Senator Frist" heading to send a message similar to the
one below.
----- Pre-written message -----
Dear Senator Frist:
Congratulations!
Your use of the Senate rules in connection with the class action bill
blocked the prime opportunity of anti-gun liberals to force
consideration of the semi-automatic ban.
You also saved the class action bill from the same 8-to-90 defeat
experienced by the gun liability bill, and kept it alive to fight
another day.
Finally, you prevented the Senate floor from being used as a campaign
platform for issues designed to defeat you and your party.
In the politically poisoned environment on the Hill, this is as good
as was possible under the circumstances.
Sincerely,
****************************
Did anyone save any Fireworks from the 4Th? I DID!!
