Immigration Bill Dead For Now -- Gun owners unheralded in media, but played a huge role...

Gun Owners of America ^ | June 29, 2007 | NA

[neverdem]

www.gunowners.org
Jun 2007

Immigration Bill Dead For Now
-- Gun owners unheralded in media, but played a huge role in the defeat of bill

Gun Owners of America
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102
Springfield, VA 22151
(703)321-8585

Friday, June 29, 2007

Well, the American public has spoken.

If you ever wondered whether your activism pays off, then look no further than the immigration debate. The bill went down in flames yesterday by a vote of 53-46.

And good thing too, because this bill was packing more than just immigration stuff -- it also contained anti-gun language as well.

But what else would you expect from a Ted Kennedy bill?

In addition to denying many law-abiding gun owners their right to find a job or buy a gun, the bill could have put every major gun shop out of business, something which the anti-gun left has been trying to do for years.

GOA wants to thank all of you who took action on our immigration alerts recently. You probably don't realize how important YOUR INVOLVEMENT was in killing this bill. Obviously, no one group can take all the credit, because there was pressure coming from all over America. Even so, most of the media has credited conservative talk shows as the 800 pound gorilla -- and yes, the talk shows were extremely important.

But remember the Baucus amendment that we asked you to lobby on? The Senate voted on whether to table (or kill) that amendment on Wednesday, but it failed to do so. That one amendment is being credited by insiders as being THE BIGGEST reason the bill could not get enough votes for cloture (that is, to end debate and vote up or down on the bill).

Consider what Congressional Quarterly had to say about that amendment on Wednesday: "The process [to get a Unanimous Consent agreement] came to a halt when the chamber refused to table an amendment by Max Baucus, D-Mont.... When the chamber voted against tabling the Baucus amendment, the process stopped. Without a unanimous consent agreement to adopt the amendment or move on, the next step was the cloture vote [which failed]."

This complies with what one highly placed Senate staffer told GOA yesterday when he said that the failed attempt to kill the Baucus amendment was "probably the reason we killed the bill."

The Baucus amendment would have protected the jobs and gun rights of Americans who live in states that are blocking the enforcement of the REAL ID Act. Without the promise of a National ID in every state, the Baucus amendment effectively became the ultimate poison pill in this bill.

So kudos to all of you for all of your hard work!

Now, our attention reverts back to the McCarthy Brady expansion bill (HR 2640) -- which could come up any time after the July 4th holiday.

Supporters of the McCarthy bill are hanging their hat on language which purports to help disqualified people get their rights restored. So GOA has built a special section on its website that gets to the truth on this issue and informs gun owners of the dangers in HR 2640.

Please go to http://www.gunowners.org/netb.htm to learn what the specifics of the bill are, who its main supporters are, answers to claims made by proponents of the bill, who faces the greatest risk of being disqualified for buying a gun, and more.

Enjoy the holidays!

****************************

4th of July Scheduling Note

Congress is out of session the entirety of next week, so there will not be any votes scheduled. Some GOA staff members are taking advantage of that fact to go on their annual vacations.

There will always be senior GOA staff paying attention to any developments regarding gun rights legislation, and our main office will be open during normal business hours except for the 4th itself.

However, we will be short-staffed. We ask that you please LIMIT E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS during this time frame, as you are unlikely to receive a timely response. Should you have questions requiring quick answers, please call 703-321-8585 during EDT business hours.

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[neverdem]

Happy Fourth of July!

[SergeiRachmaninov]

gun owners might have played an even bigger role if this thing had passed

[Asclepius]

Gun owners unheralded in media, but played a huge role in the defeat of bill

Did they shoot the bill? It was a mercy killing.

[tcostell]

Not that I'm sad to see it go, but can someone please identify the specific anti-gun language in the bill?

Personally I think there is a credibility problem here, and I'd like to get it straight.

[ConservativeMind]

What, specifically, did “gun owners” have against this bill?

Are we going to find that “gun owners” were also behind the hugely successful recipe for Nestle Toll House cookies?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From above....(maybe this )

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The Baucus amendment would have protected the jobs and gun rights of Americans who live in states that are blocking the enforcement of the REAL ID Act. Without the promise of a National ID in every state, the Baucus amendment effectively became the ultimate poison pill in this bill.

[c-b 1]

It’s in section 205 of the immigration reform bill.

[rellimpank]

-—as usual, GOA reminds me of an old (bad) joke about a mouse crawling up an elephant’s hind leg-—

[Weeedley]

A bullet was too good for that POS, gun owners and others put a sharp stake through its black heart.

[Beagle8U]

“but can someone please identify the specific anti-gun language in the bill?”

The GOA is against the Real ID act. They think it will lead to gun bans.

[Condor51]

****Personally I think there is a credibility problem here, and I'd like to get it straight.****

There was a thread on it about a month ago, the 1st time the Bill came up. It had all the dirty details. Check the BANGLIST.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Google search:

FAQ: How Real ID will affect you | CNET News.com

*********************EXCERPT********************

What's all the fuss with the Real ID Act about?
President Bush is expected to sign an $82 billion military spending bill soon that will, in part, create electronically readable, federally approved ID cards for Americans. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the package--which includes the Real ID Act--on Thursday.

What does that mean for me?
Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you'll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service. Practically speaking, your driver's license likely will have to be reissued to meet federal standards.

The Real ID Act hands the Department of Homeland Security the power to set these standards and determine whether state drivers' licenses and other ID cards pass muster. Only ID cards approved by Homeland Security can be accepted "for any official purpose" by the feds.

How will I get one of these new ID cards?
You'll still get one through your state motor vehicle agency, and it will likely take the place of your drivers' license. But the identification process will be more rigorous.

For instance, you'll need to bring a "photo identity document," document your birth date and address, and show that your Social Security number is what you had claimed it to be. U.S. citizens will have to prove that status, and foreigners will have to show a valid visa.

State DMVs will have to verify that these identity documents are legitimate, digitize them and store them permanently. In addition, Social Security numbers must be verified with the Social Security Administration.

What's going to be stored on this ID card?
At a minimum: name, birth date, sex, ID number, a digital photograph, address, and a "common machine-readable technology" that Homeland Security will decide on. The card must also sport "physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes."

Homeland Security is permitted to add additional requirements--such as a fingerprint or retinal scan--on top of those. We won't know for a while what these additional requirements will be.

Why did these ID requirements get attached to an "emergency" military spending bill?
Because it's difficult for politicians to vote against money that will go to the troops in Iraq and tsunami relief. The funds cover ammunition, weapons, tracked combat vehicles, aircraft, troop housing, death benefits, and so on.

The House already approved a standalone version of the Real ID

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[OldArmy52]

Wow! I didn’t know there was anti-gun stuff in the Amnesty Bill. But then again, one can put a lot of stuff in a 1,000 page, unread, smokey back room La Raza and Kennedy bill.

Wouldn’t be surprised to later find there was language to require all non-Muslim women limit kids to 1.

[neverdem]

Personally I think there is a credibility problem here, and I'd like to get it straight.

Immigration Bill Update -- Montana Senator offering amendment that has benefit for gun owners

"* First, section 205 of the bill could, in the hands of an anti-gun administration, PUT EVERY MAJOR GUN SHOP OUT OF BUSINESS. (Please see our alert, dated May 23, for more information on this.)

"* Second, the immigration bill could deny many gun owners their right to find a job or buy a gun.

"In regard to the latter concern, Montana Senator Max Baucus (D) is sponsoring an amendment that will delete all references to "driver's licenses" and "identification cards" under the REAL ID Act.

"This is a good thing which will have ramifications for gun owners nationwide.

"Baucus is only a D rated Senator by GOA, but he clearly has more than gun rights on his mind -- he is directly representing the interests of his state.

"In April, the state of Montana enacted GOA-supported legislation that ordered state agencies to REFUSE to implement the REAL ID (a.k.a., National ID) card. Currently, there are about a dozen states that have joined Montana either in blocking the implementation of this law or in sharply criticizing it. Altogether, about three dozen states have introduced legislation to deal with this act in one way or another."

I'm at a loss for words. Patrick Henry's famous words seem more appropriate than ever. Happy Fourth of July!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Somehow I sense that YOU have a problem with gun owners, I hope it is just my normal paranoia!

[Condor51]

I don't think the Real ID Act was the problem.

As I recall (it was about a month ago) Kennedy slipped explicit gun control crap into his "Immigration Bill".

There was a thread just on the Gun Control part. I'd search the BANGLIST, but have to scoot shortly. (guitar jamming time)

[Myrddin]

Idaho also refused to comply with the Real ID act.

[WOSG]

Er, not quite. This amendment was not a poison pill.
In fact what the conservatives did was trip up the SEQUENCE OF EVENTS which made it harder for the pro-amnesty side to get the momentum they needed. They wanted another amendment in the bill, to shows some ‘enforcement’ teeth, but by not tabling this bill, the process got ‘stuck’. So they need to go straight to cloture to get it unstuck. No go.

As such, it was NOT the killer but just an indicator that the bill was in trouble.

THE REAL STORY CAN BE LOOKED AT WHEN TO CONSIDER HOW THOSE WHO ARE UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2008 VOTED.
The 2008 class of Senators voted strongest against the bill.
The people spoke. The Senators were forced to listen. That simple.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The 2008 class of Senators voted strongest against the bill.

Ah....excellent....

The Senate is becoming a den of Shysters....