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             Two Important Senate Votes Coming Soon
                    by Gun Owners of America
      8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA  22151
             (703)321-8585, http://www.gunowners.org
                       (February 3, 1998)
Clinton's Anti-gun Choice for Surgeon General
  The Senate will soon be resuming its consideration of Dr.
David Satcher for Surgeon General.  Dr. Satcher, who heads up
the virulently anti-gun Centers for Disease Control (CDC), was
nominated by President Clinton last year to take on the "Top
Doc" position.
  Under Satcher's watch, the CDC, along with its subordinate
agencies and grantees, has regularly used its position to
tarnish gun rights.  Satcher's hired guns have called firearms
a "virus that must be eradicated" and stated that such weapons
should be viewed as cigarettes:  "dirty, deadly and banned."
  Gun owners should register their opposition to Dr. Satcher
for Surgeon General by calling their Senators at
1-800-522-6721 or 202-224-3121.
Restrictions on Gun Owners' Speech
  The Senate is also soon expected to begin debating so-called
"campaign finance" legislation.  The legislation your Senators
will be voting on would seriously hamper (if not prevent) the
ability of gun groups and other political organizations to
publish the anti-gun records of incumbents.
  In reality, this legislation is "Incumbent Protection"
masquerading as campaign finance "reform."  Consider how
these bills (S. 25 and H.R. 493) will seriously prevent gun
owners from removing anti-gun politicians from Congress:
  Analysis of Free Speech Restrictions in "Incumbent Protection"
                             Bills
 1. Regulate GOA's Communications.  As introduced, both the
  House and Senate bills would seriously hinder the ability of
  groups to help pro-gun candidates and to educate pro-gun
  voters.  If a group like GOA had ever communicated with a
  candidate or his campaign at any time, it could possibly be
  barred from making independent expenditures (mailings,
  advertisements, etc.) on behalf of that candidate (section
  251, H.R. 493).  Both bills would also regulate GOA's
  educating of voters:  GOA mailings which ask recipients to
  contact their congressman, and which cost in excess of
  $10,000, would have to be registered (sec. 241, S. 25; sec.
  254 H.R. 493) -- and could even be outlawed.
 2. Slash the Political Power of the Pro-Gun Movement.  S. 25
  would ban political action committee (PAC) contributions to
  federal candidates (section 201).  For Second Amendment
  groups, this ban on PACs -- coupled with the elimination of
  independent expenditures -- would outlaw virtually any
  involvement in the national political process.  Incumbents are
  handed over $5 million of taxpayer funds to conduct their
  operations (including their pro rata share of the general
  operations of Congress).  Used effectively, these resources
  can be channeled into a formidable reelection effort.  Without
  seed money from PACs, challengers will find it considerably
  more difficult to take on this type of taxpayer-financed
  publicity machine.
 3. Insulate Anti-gun Incumbents.  Because incumbents already
  have strong name recognition -- and because pro-gun groups
  would be prohibited from being active in the political process
  -- it would be virtually impossible to attempt to remove
  congressmen for their anti-gun votes.  The media would, of
  course, be free to continue its anti-gun drum beat.  The
  result is that a pro-gun vote would politically jeopardize an
  incumbent's political career, while an anti-gun vote would
  enhance it.  How long would the manufacture, importation, sale
  and ownership of firearms in America continue under this
  system?
   HERE'S WHAT TO DO:
 * Contact your Senators (1-800-522-6721 or 202-224-3121) and
  urge them to oppose S. 25.  When the Senate voted on these
  restrictions in October, the anti-gunners only mustered 53
  votes -- which was seven votes short of killing the
  filibuster.
 * Gun owners should also focus on the eight Republicans who
  voted for the anti-gun bill:  Chafee (R-RI), Collins (R-ME),
  Hutchinson (R-AR) [Note:  he later asked GOA to "call off the
  dogs" and then switched his vote], Jeffords (R-VT), McCain
  (R-AZ), Snowe (R-ME), Specter (R-PA) and Thompson (R-TN).
 *  Keep on the look out:  There may very well be a "compromise"
  bill that, while scaled back in some respects, will still ban
  or limit a lot of political activity in which citizens
  currently engage.  Ask your Senators not to settle for any
  compromises that would limit your 1st Amendment rights, or the
  rights of those groups (like GOA) that represent you.
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