HOUSE PASSES ‘DISCLOSE’ ACT, AN ASSAULT ON FREE SPEECH
The most creative individuals in government are, no doubt, those who dream up the acronyms used to sugar coat controversial pieces of legislation. The latest is the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections bill—also known as the Disclose Act.
But individuals like Erich Pratt, Director of Communications for Gun Owners of America, are anything but charmed by this linguistic trick that has helped push the Disclose Act halfway through Congress, with the House of Representatives passing it on Thursday by a 219-206 margin.
Said Pratt, “The DISCLOSE Act will impose a host of new restrictions upon groups like GOA, effectively limiting our ability to hold individual congressmen accountable in the weeks leading up to an election.”
“The restrictions on government power contained in the Bill of Rights do not exist in a vacuum,” insists Pratt, adding, “For instance, the First Amendment protections are what allow groups like GOA and people like you to complain to the Congress about anti-gun legislation, while the Fourth Amendment keeps the government from coming into our homes without a warrant to seize our guns.”
Like a lipstick-wearing pig, the Disclose Act is written to impose all kinds of restrictions on corporations and nonprofit organizations regarding how they can spend political money. The virtue in that is a stretch, as proponents say it will humble special interests’ efforts to dictate policy. Except, one problem: Pandering to special interests is exactly what House Democrats did to drum up support for the bill. How? By offering exemptions to select large and politically wealthy organizations that were willing to sell out.
One of them, to Erich Pratt’s dismay, was none other than the National Rifle Association (NRA) that managed to get an exemption in the Bill but only for the NRA and no other gun rights group!
Second Amendment protections only be limited to the NRA? That would be like General Motors being the only car company allowed to have cars on the road and the Ford would have to stick to the back trails!
THE FOLLOWING IS AN ARTICLE BY ERICH PRATT ON THIS TOPIC:
Pelosi Trying to Shove DISCLOSE Act through Congress Once Again
By Erich Pratt, June 22, 2010
The Washington Post corroborates what Gun Owners of America has been hearing on Capitol Hill. Top Democrat leaders in the House are trying to make another go at the DISCLOSE Act... and they think they are very close to getting the votes to pass it. According to the June 21 Post article:
Democrats are "in striking distance of getting the votes" for the package, which would require corporations, nonprofit groups [like GOA] and unions to disclose details about their political spending.
The big news last week was a "carve out" that Democrat leaders made to exempt the NRA from the provisions of the bill. This week, in order to gain more votes, there is talk about exempting many more non-profit organizations -- which may include GOA.
Our answer to Congress is simple and is found in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech." In other words, NO DEAL.
The NRA claims, in a widely circulated letter, that "some of our critics believe we should put the Second Amendment at risk over a First Amendment principle to protect other organizations."
To the contrary, sacrificing a First Amendment principle will end up putting the Second Amendment on even more precarious footing.
The restrictions on government power contained in the Bill of Rights do not exist in a vacuum. For instance, the First Amendment protections are what allow groups like GOA and people like you to complain to the Congress about anti-gun legislation, while the Fourth Amendment keeps the government from coming into our homes without a warrant to seize our guns.
The DISCLOSE Act will impose a host of new restrictions upon groups like GOA, effectively limiting our ability to hold individual congressmen accountable in the weeks leading up to an election.
The Democrat leadership is trying very hard to round up the votes to pass the bill this week. While other groups might acquiesce to a deal, GOA will oppose this bill so long as even one gun owner's voice is silenced.
ABOUT ERICH PRATT…
Erich Pratt is currently the Director of Communications for Gun Owners of America. Shortly after getting an MA from Regent University in Public Policy, he went to work for GOA where he has been employed since 1990. GOA is a national membership organization of 350,000 Americans dedicated to promoting their Second Amendment freedom to keep and bear arms.
GOA lobbies for the pro-gun position in Washington, DC 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, MSNBC, CNN and Fox Cable News. His columns have appeared in newspapers across the country.
In addition to authoring a book, Bearing Arms: Our Rights, Our Duties & Our Freedom, in 1991, he is the author of a forthcoming civil government textbook, The Constitutional Recipe for Freedom: Twelve Principles of Liberty Today’s Politicians Don’t Want You to Know.
Mr. Pratt and his wife, Stacy, have ten children.