From: [email protected] Subject: Senate Save Grassroots Lobbying Vote – Deadline Today--Call Now! Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 - FAX: 360-687-2973 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 2000 Senate Save Grassroots Lobbying Vote – Deadline Today--Call Now! Urgent Action Required Basic Message from: FreeCongress.org – (edited by us) Grassroots Lobbying In Danger You must call the Senators listed below immediately and insist that they vote against any section or amendment that hurts grassroots lobbying. Section 105 of S. 2128 is a bad section. There will likely be an amendment that also would threaten grassroots lobbying. No language should be added that has the intent of section 105. Thursday, March 2nd the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is expected to mark up S.2128, a lobbying reform measure introduced by Sen. John McCain. The time for the markup is 10 AM and it will be in Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Your calls and faxes will be good through 12:00 Noon Eastern Time Thursday. Action Items: -----1. Call your Senator listed below. You may call any Senator at (202) 224-3121. -----2. Fax your Senator listed below. -----3. Call at least three other people to get them to call and fax. Time is urgent. You must take action immediately. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Republicans: Susan M. Collins (R-ME) (Chair) – (202) 224-2523 – FAX: (202) 224-2693 Ted Stevens (R-AK) – (202) 224-3004 – FAX: (202) 224-2354 George Voinovich (R-OH) – (202) 224-3353 – FAX: (202) 228-1382 Norm Coleman (R-MN) – (202_ 224-5641 – FAX: (202) 224-1152 Tom Coburn (R-OK) – (202) 224-5724 – FAX: (202) 224-6008 Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) -- (202) 224-2921 – FAX (202) 228-2853 Robert Bennett (R-UT) -- (202) 224-5444 – FAX: (202) 228-1168 Pete Domenici (R-NM) – (202) 224-6621 – FAX: (202) 228-3261 John Warner (R-VA) –(202) 224-2023 – FAX (202) 224-6295 Democrats: Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) (Ranking) – (202) 224-4041 – FAX: (202) 224- 9750 Carl Levin (D-MI) – (202) 224-6221 – FAX: 202) 224-1388 Daniel Akaka (D-HI) – (202) 224-6361 – FAX: (202) 224-2126 Thomas Carper (D-DE) – (202) 224-2441 – FAX: (202) 228-2190 Mark Dayton (DFL-MN) – (202) 224-3244 – FAX: (202) 228-2186 Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) -- (202) 224-3224 – FAX: (202) 228-4054 Mark Pryor (D-AR) – (202) 224-2353 – FAX: (202) 228-0908 *****Everyone should contact Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is a key author of this bill: -- (202) 224-2235 – FAX: (202) 224-2862. He is likely to be a candidate for President. He needs to know how much the grassroots does not like S. 2128. Background: Many grassroots activist groups are concerned about Section 105 of S. 2128 which calls for the filing of detailed reports by vendors that have been hired by grassroots groups. Not only is the reporting burdensome but the reports are detailed enough to provide tip-offs on strategy and tactics. Essentially the measure would provide an edge to well-heeled groups that can look at what the opposition is doing and react accordingly with expenditures. In other words, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence would know what grassroots gun groups plan to do and can plan to respond accordingly. The same could hold true when it comes to grassroots property groups mounting protests against well-heeled townships and developers in post-Kelo cases. It is uncertain whether Senator McCain has made a significant change to Section 105 or dropped it from his bill. Word has been circulating that an amendment to do the things expressed in Section 105 will be introduced in the committee on Thursday. What is clear is that this section or an amendment that embodies the intent of Section 105 would have a detrimental impact on grassroots lobbying activities. Bradley A. Smith, former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and Stephen M. Hoersting, Executive Director of the Center for Competitive Politics, wrote last month in National Review Online: Far from being the problem, grassroots lobbying is part of the solution to restoring the people’s faith in Congress. … “Grassroots lobbying” is merely encouragement of average citizens to contact their representatives about issues of public concern. It is not “lobbying” at all, as that phrase is normally used outside the beltway, meaning paid, full-time advocates of special interests meeting in person with members of Congress away from the public eye, Contact between ordinary citizens and members of Congress, which is what “grassroots lobbying” seeks to bring about…is ordinary citizens expressing themselves. That they are “stimulated” to do so by “grassroots lobbying activities” is irrelevant. These are still individual citizens motivated to express themselves to members of Congress. It’s important to preserve the ability of citizens to contact their Members of Congress without entangling those groups and their contractors in all kinds of red tape. Citizen activists get it. Does Senator McCain? Do the members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs get it? This issue is of vital concern to grassroots activists. Whether it is Section 105 or an amendment that is aimed at grassroots lobbying, it is important for grassroots activists to fight to preserve unfettered grassroots lobbying. K Street has their mercenaries but there is no reason for Congress to crack down on American citizens expressing their honest to goodness viewpoints to their elected representatives. Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs http://hsgac.senate.gov/ Read 02/21/06 Commentary In National Review Online By Bradley A. Smith And Stephen M.Hoersting http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/smith_hoersting_200602210809.asp Visit Thomas To Read S. 2128 – The `Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005' (Or Grassroots Diminishment Act) http://thomas.loc.gov/ Please forward this message widely. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.