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GUN RIGHTS AT RISK AGAIN IN DC
Two questions loom large in the heart and minds of 2nd Amendment rights supporters:
1) I the District of Columbia is granted voting rights in Congress, who will their representative vote with regard to gun rights?
2) Will House leaders pull off their ‘coupe’ attempt to strip the D.C. gun ban repeal from the DC voting rights bill
The bad news is that supporters of the bill to give the District of Columbia a full voting member to the House of Representatives are ramping up pressure to pass the bill without an amendment to repeal the District’s draconian gun control laws.
Good news is that the lobbying organization DC Vote and its congressional allies have targeted 60 Democrats who hail from rural areas where gun rights support runs strong in hopes of picking up the 28 additional votes needed to pass the bill with no amendments.
Conducting Talk Show interviews on this topic is Gun Owners of America Executive Director Larry Pratt.
With a lobbying organization with over 300,000 members nationwide, Pratt warns House members that support for a rule that does not include the gun ban repeal will be scored as an anti-gun vote.
“We will absolutely score that vote. The Congress has already spoken on the issue of the D.C. gun ban from both chambers,” said Mr. Pratt.
During your interview with Larry Pratt he explains that the D.C. voting bill passed the Senate two weeks ago with an amendment, sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), to repeal most of the city’s anti-gun laws. That amendment passed with 62 votes.
Pratt gives additional background adding that last year, the House of Representatives passed similar language with 266 votes, including 85 Democrats. Many of these Democrats have straddled the fence on Second Amendment issues and are now being
pressured by the House leadership to switch their position. A vote for an anti-gun rule would be a direct reversal from last year’s vote.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) says his organization will be watching closely those members who switch their votes. In addition to scoring the vote in its congressional rating, GOA will also alert its members of the results of the vote.
“A vote for a rule that excludes the Ensign amendment will be viewed not just as a vote against the Second Amendment rights of the D.C. residents, but against the right to keep and bear arms of all Americans,” said Mr. Pratt.
House leaders would like to move on the bill this week, but scheduling is dependent on the vote count to repeal the gun ban.
ABOUT YOUR EXPERT GUEST, LARRY PRATT…
Larry Pratt has been Executive Director of Gun Owners of America for 30 years.
GOA is a national membership organization of 300,000 Americans dedicated to promoting their second amendment freedom to keep and bear arms.
GOA lobbies for the pro-gun position in Washington and is involved in firearm issues in the states. GOA’s work includes providing legal assistance to those involved in lawsuits with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the federal firearms law enforcement agency.
Pratt has appeared on numerous national radio and TV programs such as NBC’s Today Show, CBS’ Good Morning America, CNN’s Crossfire and Larry King Live, Fox’s Hannity & Colmes, MSNBC’s Phil Donahue and Dan Abrams show and many others.
Mr. Pratt has debated Congressmen James Traficant, Jr. (D-OH), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Vice President Al Gore, among others.
Larry Pratt’s insightful columns have appeared in newspapers across the country.
He published a book, Armed People Victorious, in 1990 and was editor of a book, Safeguarding Liberty: The Constitution & Militias, 1995. His latest book, On the Firing Line: Essays in the Defense of Liberty was published in 2001.
Pratt directs a number of other public interest organizations and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Pratt has held elective office in the state legislature of Virginia, serving in the House of Delegates.
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