National Rifle Association Clarification On H.R. 5175, The Disclose Act
Charlotte, NC –-(Ammoland.com)- We appreciate the concerns that some NRA members have raised regarding our position on H.R. 5175, the “DISCLOSE Act.”
Unfortunately, critics of our position have misstated or misunderstood the facts.
We have never said we would support any version of this bill. To the contrary, we clearly stated NRA’s strong opposition to the DISCLOSE Act (as introduced) in a letter sent to Members of Congress on May 26 (click here to read the letter).
Through the courts and in Congress, the NRA has consistently and strongly opposed any effort to restrict the rights of our four million members to speak and have their voices heard on behalf of gun owners nationwide.
The initial version of H.R. 5175 would effectively have put a gag order on the NRA during elections and threatened our members’ freedom of association, by forcing us to turn our donor lists over to the federal government. We would also have been forced to list our top donors on all election-related television, radio and Internet ads and mailings—even mailings to our own members.
We refuse to let this Congress impose those unconstitutional restrictions on our Association.
The NRA provides critical firearms training for our Armed Forces and law enforcement throughout the country. This bill would force us to choose between training our men and women in uniform and exercising our right to free political speech.
We refuse to let this Congress force us to make that choice.
We didn’t “sell out” to Nancy Pelosi or anyone else. We told Congress we opposed the bill. As a result, congressional leaders made a commitment to exempt us from its draconian restrictions on free speech. If that commitment is honored, we will not be involved in the final House debate. If that commitment is not fully honored, we will strongly oppose the bill.
Our position is based on principle and experience. During consideration of the previous campaign finance legislation passed in 2002, congressional leadership repeatedly refused to exempt the NRA from its provisions, promising that our concerns would be fixed somewhere down the line. That didn’t happen; instead, the NRA had to live under those restrictions for seven years and spend millions of dollars on compliance costs and on legal fees to challenge the law.
We will not go down that road again when we have an opportunity to protect our ability to speak.
There are those who say the NRA has a greater duty to principle than to gun rights. It’s easy to say we should put the Second Amendment at risk over a First Amendment principle – unless you have a sworn duty to protect the Second Amendment above all else, as we do.
The NRA is a bipartisan, single-issue organization made up of millions of individual members dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment. We do not represent the interests of other organizations. That’s their responsibility. Our responsibility is to protect and defend the interests of our members. And that we do without apology.
About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org
Sir: I just called for the second time on the Disclosurer Issue. I listened to your statement twice now and you're trying to pull an OBAMA on us. I understand completely what you are trying to do and why. To put it simply, you are trying to do what Senator Ben Nelson did for Nebraska. If he signed the bill, Nebraska would be exempt from paying, while all the others would have to pay. The citizens of Nebraska rejected what he did, just like we in the membership are trying to reject what you are doing. It's like the old… Read more »
So they aren't going to "support" it, but they aren't planning on OPPOSING this pile of dung either.
It's disingenuous (a particularly sleazy form of dishonesty) to make it sound like they are opposed when what they have really decided is that they are DISINTERESTED in doing the right thing.
If they made no "deal" and didn't participate in the carve out then there is NO REASON that the organization would not continue to OPPOSE this bill.
— Oh, except hypocracy.
I am glad so many people have seen through the smokescreen the NRA has tried to throw up. If you write to them, they just spew the garbage in thier news release, which basically says when it affected the NRA, they opposed it but now that it doesn't effect the NRA, they don't give a damn.
IF you (in this case the NRA) won't fight for my rights (in this case GOA or RMGO or PP Firearm Coalition et. al. then you can expect to also lose yours in the future eventually. The NRA MUST STAND FOR THE RIGHTS OF All. I will not renew my NRA membership if they play along with the corrupt Congress of the U.S. in this or similar legislation even if I have to give up my gun range membership and have to drive 1.5 to 2 hours just to shoot in the future. I'm sick of their sucking up to… Read more »
The day I’ll join the NRA is… 1. When the NRA announces, from the rooftops, that the police have NO LEGAL DUTY to protect the average American citizen. Time after time, our courts have upheld this. If every American understood this, we would see gun ownership, and Second Amendment awareness, burgeon across our nation. The tide would resolutely turn in our favor. 2. When the NRA aggressively presses to abolish all concealed carry permit laws. How has an unalienable right to self defense been demoted to a revocable government granted privilege? Unregistered concealed carry has been no big issue in… Read more »
The NRA needs to rethink this position. They need to fight this bill even if they are exempted from it. That is just another case of BRIBERY by the Obama administration.
The NRA refuses to acknowledge the Big Picture here. They claim to just want to protect the 2nd Amendment. Yet support Persons and Legislation that would crap on the Constitution in a heartbeat. You can't protect and defend what is no longer there! 1. They endorsed and gave money to Scozzafava in the NY 23 race last year. Reason? She had an NRA A grade. But then she punked the GOP and went Progressive, just as we said she would. She WOULD dump the Constitution in a heartbeat! 2. They endorse (and no records of how much they have given)… Read more »
The NRA (I am once-proud member) has indeed sold-out. The stataments, "to protect OUR ability to speak … the rights of OUR four million members to speak and have their voices heard … If that commitment is honored, we will not be involved in the final House debate … " They continue to speak of "OUR ABILITY TO SPEAK" and "the rights of OUR FOUR MILLION MEMBERS" but what about the rights of ALL? They spew verbiage of our constitution but forget that the constitution is for all Americans and not only for paying members. The NRA is throwing many… Read more »