Disclose Act Through House - Rights Infringement Feared

This afternoon House Speaker Nancy Pelosi forced the free-speech limiting DISCLOSE Act through the House of Representatives. 

Because of the heroic efforts of gun rights activists like you, the DISCLOSE Act barely passed with a vote of 219 to 206. 

YOUR pressure — your phone calls, your e-mails — turned the easy passage of this measure into a tough and expensive political battle for the anti-gunners in Congress and the White House. (Click here to see how your Congressman voted.) 

Thank you for your commitment to this important fight — you are making a difference! 

The DISCLOSE Act was written simply to protect the anti-gun Establishment status quo in Washington D.C.  If passed into law, it could silence virtually every state and national conservative group in the country, including the National Association for Gun Rights and any state level gun organizations you may belong to. 

The DISCLOSE Act is a direct attack on your First Amendment right to petition Congress and mention legislation or voting records during the election season. 

You and I both know that election season is the best time to hold politicians accountable for their anti-gun votes. The DISCLOSE Act is designed to silence grassroots activists LIKE YOU and protect the Establishment politicians in Washington. 

The DISCLOSE Act will affect every political organization you belong to, on any and every issue. 

The NRA has joined an unholy cabal with liberal special interests like the Sierra Club, AARP and labor unions to gain exemptions from the onerous restrictions of the DISCLOSE Act.  

I strongly encourage you to contact the NRA at (800) 672-3888 and let them know just how you feel about this betrayal of your rights.

Now, until this week, the DISCLOSE Act appeared doomed, but the NRA struck a deal with anti-gunners Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer (the Senate sponsor) and Harry Reid.  In exchange for exemptions from the bill’s outrageous and expensive disclosure requirements, the NRA now tacitly supports the anti-free speech DISCLOSE Act.

In fact, Capitol insiders say Harry Reid may be the driving force for this exemption. Reid is in a very tough re-election race in Nevada, but the NRA has all but endorsed him (see the latest NRA magazine, with flattering pictures and flowery praise of Harry Reid).  If he’s held accountable for his bad votes on the gun issue, he will almost certainly lose – which is why he’d like to silence all of the pro-gun groups except the one that’s supporting him. 

The fight against the free-speech infringement that is the DISCLOSE Act must now be taken to the U.S. Senate.

Without a doubt, our right to free speech hangs in the balance — and today’s vote is step in the wrong direction.

However, I am still optimistic.

If gun rights activists like you and me can keep the pressure up in the U.S. Senate, we still have a chance of killing this awful legislation.

Please, call both your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and demand that they publicly oppose the DISCLOSE Act.

Tell them that any vote to restrict free-speech will be considered a vote against gun owners.

You can also help the National Association for Gun Rights by chipping in $5 or $10 to help us keep up the fight against the DISCLOSE ACT.

For liberty, 

Dudley Brown
Executive Director