...and so it begins: Day One of the 111th Congress.

[Airman193SOS]

I was curious to see what our esteemed Congressmen and women would do on the first day. They didn't disappoint.

Wedged in with resolutions honoring Paul Newman, apologizing for slavery, and repealing the 16th and 22nd Amendments, we have a few gun-related bills.

H.R.17 : To protect the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms in defense of self, family, or home, and to provide for the enforcement of such right.
Sponsor: Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] (introduced 1/6/2009)

Good idea, but it won't pass.

H.R.197 : To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a national standard in accordance with which nonresidents of a State may carry concealed firearms in the State.
Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/6/2009)

Another good idea, but that doesn't have a chance either.

So, here's the one to watch from the first day:

H.R.45 : To provide for the implementation of a system of licensing for purchasers of certain firearms and for a record of sale system for those firearms, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] (introduced 1/6/2009)

Well, that didn't take long. The only surprise is that Carolyn McCarthy didn't reintroduce the AWB (last year's HR 1022). That probably comes today.

Start calling and writing, folks.

One other thing: If you're interested in following the day-to-day activities of the Congress, visit Thomas, courtesy of the Library of Congress, and click on Yesterday in Congress, located on the right side of the screen.

 

[TexasRifleman]

About 3% of bills introduced actually go anywhere right?

About 7,000 bills are introduced each year in the House.

(found these numbers on a couple of House websites)

Not time to panic yet OK?

Vigilance, not paranoia.

 

[hso]

Great information Airman193SOS! We all can put the links to good use tracking this Congress's actions with respect to the 2A.

Vigilance, not paranoia.

Wise words that we all should heed. Hyperbole and hysteria are the core of the antis' propaganda campaigns. Let's stick to facts instead.

It is inevitable that gun prohibitionists in this Congress will propose bills to erode our 2A rights. It is no surprise that out of all the bills intorduced on the first day of this session of Congress that some of them would be pro and anti 2A. What we have to do is identify these threats to our rights, track them and work to stop them as early as possible in their course through Congress.

Vigilance allows us to take action before we find ourselves in the shadow of the threat.

 

[Blondie]

Just for further information, this is what the GOA website says about H.R. 45:

"This bill would require a license for handguns and semiautomatics, including those currently possessed. The applicant must be thumbprinted and sign a certification that, effectively, the firearm will not be kept in a place where it would be available for the defense of the gun owner’s family. The applicant must also make available ALL of his psychiatric records, pass an exam, and pay a fee of up to $25. The license may be renewed after five years and may be revoked. Private sales would be outlawed, and reports to the attorney general of all transactions would be required, even when, as the bill allows, the AG determines that a state licensing system is sufficiently draconian to substitute for the federal license. With virtually no exceptions, ALL firearms transactions (involving semiautos, handguns, long guns, etc.) would be subject to a Brady check. In addition, the bill would make it unlawful in nearly all cases to keep any loaded firearm for self-defense. A variety of “crimes by omission” (such as failure to report certain things) would be created. Criminal penalties of up to ten years and almost unlimited regulatory and inspection authority would be established."

http://gunowners.org/110anatb.htm

We can thank another wacko from Illinois for this proposed legislation.

Blonde

 

[ACBMWM3]

Blondie ide have to say that 98% of that wouldnt pass. Much of it totally goes against the 2nd amendment. The only thing I can say that MAYBE will pass and i mean maybe is the registering of a firearm. There is no way to do it for firearms possessed already, but for new ones purchased then maybe.

 

[Blondie]

Registration is unacceptable. There is no legitimate reason why the government - federal or state - needs to register guns. The only things they would do is either tax them or confiscate them, both of which are unacceptable.

Registration only provides a tyrannical government with the identity of those who have guns and those who will be deemed a risk to its power.

Blonde

 

[JBURGII]

Paranoia..

Vigilance not paranoia.. but the threshold of paranoia keeps getting pushed farther and farther out..

It is not paranoia when they really are out to get you..

Rev. J

 

[ACBMWM3]

Blondie,
im not agruing with you at all, im just saying what IMO is the only part they might pass

 

[HammerG26]

Ummm... if a Reagan-esque president was in the White House, I would not be as concerned about the 22nd Amendment begin repealed, but with BHO... the idea of no presidential term limit scares me.
As for the 16th... the income tax sucks... can we say FairTax (http://www.fairtax.org)