NRA and Rand Paul’s Bill
NRA emails in response to their opposition to Rand Paul’s bill:
Dear Senator,
Thank you for asking about the National Rifle Association’s position on a motion to table amendment # 363 to the PATRIOT Act.
The NRA takes a back seat to no one when it comes to protecting gun owners’ rights against government abuse. Over the past three decades, we’ve fought successfully to block unnecessary and intrusive compilation of firearms-related records by several federal agencies, and will continue to protect the privacy of our members and all American gun owners.
While well-intentioned, the language of this amendment as currently drafted raises potential problems for gun owners, in that it encourages the government to use provisions in current law that allow access to firearms records without reasonable cause, warrant, or judicial oversight of any kind.
Based on these concerns and the fact that the NRA does not ordinarily take positions on procedural votes, we have no position on a motion to table amendment # 363.
Sincerely,
Chris W. Cox
I’ve yet to see either the amendment or the alleged original letter.
May 26th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Can’t find the original amendment online anywhere either.
Good thing this transparency-in-government thing was just a fad, because they suck at it.
This page cites the amendment number as #365, not #363. Alas no text there either.
May 26th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Found this on a Ron Paul forum:
SEC. __. FIREARMS RECORDS.
Nothing in the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56; 115 Stat. 272), the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-177; 120 Stat. 192), the USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-178; 120 Stat. 278), or an amendment made by any such Act shall authorize the investigation or procurement of firearms records which is not authorized under chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code.
May 27th, 2011 at 8:46 am
NRA Joins Mitch McConnell Against Rand Paul and Gun Owners for America.
http://reason.com/blog/2011/05/26/nra-joins-mcconnell-against-ra
The NRA is nothing more than a special interest group for profit. Those at the top of the NRA live in mansions and never met a gun control bill they couldn’t manipulate to rally their troops and dollars, but this really shows their true colors in the public eye. Many people have written about the NRA’s involvement in assisting writing anti gun laws in the 30’s and quietly that style or approach has continued to present day. Keep sending those dollars, we are working for you and your rights, yeah right…