Posted on 05/19/2009 8:14:31 PM PDT by marktwain
Related ArticlesWe Must Keep Guns Out of National Parks Gun Owners Overturn National Parks Gun Ban Louisiana Student Fires Gun Over Teacher's Head, Shoots Self Students Rally to Keep Guns Off College Campus Get ready to pinch yourself.
After eight years of clashing with anti-gun bureaucrats and congressional leadership hostile to gun rights, we have never been closer to victory in the battle to repeal the National Park Service (NPS) gun ban.
As you are by now undoubtedly aware, NPS land is subject to a blanket gun ban. A Bush administration regulation partially reversing the ban was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington, D.C.
Gun Owners of America reported last week about an amendment to repeal the gun ban, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), that passed by an overwhelming 67-29 vote. Senator Coburn attached his amendment to a fast-moving "must pass bill," H.R. 627, dealing with credit card industry reform.
The Coburn amendment simply allows for state law -- not unelected bureaucrats and activist judges -- to govern the carrying of firearms on NPS land.
"Visitors to national parks also should have the right to defend themselves in accordance with the laws of their states," Sen. Coburn said.
The Senate wrapped up business on the underlying bill today, while the House passed its version of the bill several weeks ago. The measure now heads back to the House to be "reconciled" with the Senate bill.
The problem for anti-gun House leaders is that their priority bill, H.R. 627, now contains a pro-gun amendment. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is forced to either delay the entire bill in order to try to strip the popular pro-gun amendment out later in the year, or allow the underlying bill to move through the House before Memorial Day with the Coburn amendment intact.
Sources close to the situation tell GOA that the Democrat leadership, which has opposed the NPS gun ban repeal at every turn, may have finally run out of options. The enormous outpouring of grassroots activism from GOA supporters may have at last convinced congressional leaders that if they bury this measure yet again, the repercussions will reverberate into the next election.
President Obama wants to sign this credit card legislation before Memorial Day. So it is possible that there will be just one more vote on this issue in the House this week. As of today, it appears the leadership plans to bring the underlying bill to the floor in two pieces for two separate votes -- one on the main bill and one on the Coburn amendment.
If both pieces pass the House, then they can be combined together as one bill and sent directly to the President without going to a House-Senate conference committee. (There would be no need to iron out differences in conference committee since the Senate would have already passed the exact same version of the bill.)
Bottom line: we just need to make certain that the gun ban repeal= amendment passes in the House, after which it will be joined back up with the main bill and signed into law.
This could be the last strike in a long battle, but even on the cusp of winning GOA has also learned that some -- supposedly on the pro-gun side -- are willing to compromise away this victory.
Now why would a bunch of Gun Control Freaks in Congress pass this?
There is definitely something else going on here....
Indeed.
In addition, a large number of Senators are perturbed at the Obama administration for using underhanded tactics to derail the Interior department rule change that would have allowed concealed carry in most parks.
This law would be much better because it is a legislative remedy to the blatantly unconstitutional situation that we are in today. It also sends a message to the anti-constitutional opposition that you better be careful in your attacks .... you may find yourself further from your goal of civilian disarmament than if you had done nothing.
“There is definitely something else going on here....”
Yeah, what did they compromise on to get it in there? Or is this even true?
This small but determined band of "Blue Dogs" will most likely help us keep the anti gunners at bay. We can only hope. It also appears that Obama may be politically astute enough to lay aside his religion of fascism long enough to concentrate on things that might pass instead of things that may entangle him.
I love this. We need to start attaching more amendments like this to bills. Next up would be a conceal carry license reciprocity such as with drivers and marriage licenses.
Next up should be elminating 922(o). Legalize new M16s, and the whole RKBA debate will shift dramatically.
Heller made clear there is a right to possession at home. I'm sure there is plenty of established verdicts declaring one's tent/camper counts as "home". Also, Heller establishes the force of "keep" in the 2nd Amendment - needing only a very small step to reach the second half of the "keep and bear" clause.
With Bush's EO (or however it was enacted) allowing carry in National Parks, and with the interfering judge using a mere "environmental impact report" as merely a delaying tactic, there is demonstrably no basis for the ban. Any attempt to continue it in court will fail. Faced with an unstoppable suit solidly establishing a right to arms in NPs, Congress would rather derail the establishment of a right by instead simply permitting the activity.
Small wonder the "anti's" would support this amendment. When you're going to lose, surrender that ground and fight elsewhere.
Thank you, NRA.
The VCDL started this ball rolling, GOA pushed it, and the NRA came in at a late date and helped it along, at least that is how I see it. Most of the credit should go to the Virginia Citizens Defense League:
http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=146694
Even many reliable Democrat voters are pro 2A.
Congress is officially Pro Gun. They are not going to make the same mistake they made when they passed the AWB after Clinton got elected.
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