Grassroots Activism
Restrictions
Stripped From Senate Bill (S.1)
Last night
by a vote of 55 to 43, the U.S. Senate stripped the grassroots lobbying
restrictions from the Ethics Reform Bill (S.1). The grassroots alarm over
what would have been a direct violation of the inalienable right of
citizens to petition their government rang out across the country from
groups that span the political spectrum. The grassroots power to stop
this clear assault on freedom demonstrates why Section 220 of S.1 was so
insidious. The very right to engage in this form of citizen lobbying was
targeted.
The
issue of when reporting kicks in was hotly debated prior to the vote with
the public at large and also on the Senate floor. Sen. Robert Bennett
[R-Utah] entered this information into the Congressional Record:
- "Some defenders of Section 220 say that these requirements would
apply only if the activist is an employee of an organization that spends
more than $10,000 in a calendar quarter on such ``grassroots lobbying
activity.'' Regrettably, they are mistaken--that may have been the
intent, but it is not the language of Section 220...under Section 220,
even $1 per quarter spent to ``stimulate'' citizens to communicate with
their representatives in Congress triggers the registration and reporting
requirement, for an individual who meets the other four numbered criteria
in our previous paragraph."
Those four criteria are these:
- "If Section 220 is enacted, the activist will learn that she
must register with the federal government as a ``lobbyist'' and file
quarterly reports detailing her efforts to stimulate ``grassroots
lobbying,'' of any dollar amount, if (l) she is paid any sort of salary,
(2) spends more than 20 percent of her time on such grassroots
activities, (3) presents the motivating communications to more than 500
persons who are not paying members of the organization, and (4) has
communicated with a congressional office or Executive Branch official
more than once during a calendar quarter (for example, by sending an
e-mail or making a phone call advising a Senate office of the
organization's position on a pending vote)."
This
was a key, very significant vote that highlights the willingness of many
members of Congress to tread on our inalienable rights when they consider
it necessary to further their political goals. Below is the voting record
to strip out the offending language.
If your Senators voted
"Yea," please thank them and let them know
that you greatly appreciate their support for our fundamental
freedoms.
If, however, your Senator vote "No," please let them
know
how deeply disappointed you are in their vote.
YEAs ---55
Alexander (R-TN), Allard (R-CO), Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Bennett
(R-UT), Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Conrad
(D-ND), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC), Dole (R-NC), Domenici (R-NM), Dorgan (D-ND), Ensign
(R-NV), Enzi (R-WY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Gregg (R-NH), Hagel
(R-NE), Hatch (R-UT) ,Hutchison (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA),
Kyl (R-AZ), Landrieu (D-LA), Lott (R-MS), Lugar (R-IN), Martinez (R-FL),
McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Nelson (D-NE), Roberts
(R-KS), Salazar (D-CO), Sessions (R-AL), Shelby (R-AL), Smith (R-OR),
Snowe (R-ME), Specter (R-PA), Stevens (R-AK), Sununu (R-NH), Thomas
(R-WY), Thune (R-SD), Vitter (R-LA), Voinovich (R-OH), Warner
(R-VA)
NAYs ---43
Akaka (D-HI), Biden (D-DE), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA) ,Brown (D-OH),
Byrd (D-WV), Cantwell (D-WA), Cardin (D-MD), Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA), Clinton (D-NY), Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold
(D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Harkin (D-IA), Inouye (D-HI), Kennedy (D-MA),
Kerry (D-MA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Kohl (D-WI), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Leahy
(D-VT), Levin (D-MI), Lieberman (ID-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), McCaskill
(D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Mikulski (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), Nelson (D-FL),
Obama (D-IL), Pryor (D-AR), Reed (D-RI), Reid (D-NV), Rockefeller (D-WV),
Sanders (I-VT), Schumer (D-NY), Stabenow (D-MI), Tester (D-MT), Webb
(D-VA), Whitehouse (D-RI), Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting - 2
Brownback (R-KS), Johnson (D-SD)
Call Both of Your Senators
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