Response from Pat Toomey (PA)

[Prophet]

....lukewarm, as expected.

Thank you for contacting me about gun control. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you may know, January 16, 2013, President Obama announced a variety of gun policy measures in response to the Newtown, CT killings. I therefore value knowing your views on this important issue, which is important to me as I carefully review the President's proposals. Like many Pennsylvanians, I believe that Second Amendment rights are important and must be protected, but there may be areas of agreement with the White House that can be addressed to improve public safety. I also believe that people who use guns in an illegal manner or harm others with them should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

That said, we have consistently observed that mass killings are the result of serious mental illness. We therefore need to better protect ourselves from mentally ill individuals who seek to carry out such atrocities, including improved background checks. We also need to review and improve how we take care of the mentally ill. As I continue working with my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle on public safety, please be assured that I will keep your views about firearms in mind.

Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,



Pat Toomey
U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania

 

[Hoppy]

I received the same one about 3:00pm today. That's the 3rd response from him since December. Perhaps a call is needed to ask specifically which way he would vote.

I also sent off a thank you email regarding PA HB 357. I sent the following to rep Metcalfe:
Representative Metcalfe and Ms. Wilbour,
Thank you for introducing this legislation. I am in full support of this and am glad that several states have adopted this type of plan which meshes nicely with the 10th amendment. My district (42) is currently vacant, but you can count on my full support.

 

[Prophet]

Thanks for reminding me Hoppy, I haven't written Representative Metcalfe yet. I suppose I should give Toomey's office a call for clarification. I voted for the guy but as the lesser of two evils, something about him has always unsettled me. Perhaps it was the way he treated Peg Luksik and essentially screwed her out of a good run. I listened to Peg discuss the 2A during a telephone town hall and she was spot on.

 

[statelineblues]

Here's the response I received from Jim Gerlach (Rep - 6th District in PA)

Thank you for your contacting me regarding your thoughts on gun control. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.



As you may know, in the aftermath of the school shootings in Newtown, CT, Vice President Joe Biden was charged with leading a task force including members of advocacy groups, teachers, elected officials, and sports and wildlife conservationists to prepare recommendations for President Obama on how to reduce gun violence. On January 16th, President Obama unveiled this broad package of measures that range from legislative proposals to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips to Executive Orders to improve incentives for states to contribute records to federal background check systems established under existing law. I look forward to the President bringing these plans to Congress where I hope to have an open and honest discussion with my House colleagues and constituents about how to protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens while, at the same time, preventing those who lack the ability and competency to responsibly use firearms from obtaining and using them to harm innocent victims.



Let me make it explicitly clear that my policy positions and votes on legislation are driven and determined by what I believe will be in the best interests of the over 700,000 constituents who I represent in the Sixth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Our constituency is made up of individuals with a diverse range of opinions and beliefs on all issues, including polarizing and sensitive topics such as gun control, and it is my responsibility to take into consideration all of these thoughts and opinions before making any final decision as to how I will vote on legislation.



With that being said, during my tenure in Congress, I have supported legislation to preserve and protect the constitutional rights of our citizens, including those rights provided under the Second Amendment. However, as is the case with every bill that comes to the House floor, I will evaluate each piece of legislation and weigh the costs, benefits and expected impact of such legislation against the concerns and views of my constituents and one's Second Amendment right to bear arms.



Thank you for contacting me regarding this important issue. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you or your family in the future.



With kind regards, I am


Sincerely,

Jim Gerlach
Member of Congress

 

[geekWithA.45]

Just got the same Toomey form letter.

 

[Prophet]

Just received this from GOA; it would probably pay us all to call and send a message to Pat Toomey telling him to stay strong on the 2A. If anti's are reaching out to him, it's for a reason.

Anti-gun Democrats Pressuring Toomey to Support Gun Restrictions

CeaseFirePA is planning to protest at Senator Toomey's office
in Philadelphia at 10:30 am on Tuesday.

“With the Senate set to take up a major gun-control bill as early as next week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has quietly reached out to conservative Sen. Pat Toomey for support on expanding background [registration] checks on all gun sales.” - Politico, April 5, 2013

Senator Pat Toomey is being pressured to sell out the Second Amendment to anti-gun zealot Chuck Schumer and Second Amendment turncoat Joe Manchin.

Senator Schumer has made a career of trapping hapless Republican senators into betraying their party. He is a ruthless partisan, whose siren-song for GOP sell-outs bears a substantial responsibility for the Senate still being in Democratic hands.

Senator Manchin was the "best friend of the Second Amendment" on November 5 - and its worst enemy on November 7. His capacity for stabbing his constituents in the back the moment they have elected him to a six-year term has added a new term to the lexicon: "pulling a Manchin."

If Toomey allows Schumer, Manchin, and Obama to use him to "break the back of the gun lobby," he will have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory - as we are very close to defeating ALL gun control in the Senate, if the Republicans will only stick to their guns and support the Paul-Cruz-Lee filibuster.

As you know, these three Republican Senators - Rand Paul (KY), Ted Cruz (TX) and Mike Lee (UT) - have publicly committed to filibustering gun control in the Senate.

Not only that, there are now more than a dozen Senators who have committed to filibustering any anti-Second Amendment legislation.

But Toomey’s name is not listed among them!

By filibustering gun control and keeping it from even coming to the floor, Harry Reid won’t have two weeks to score political points against Toomey by forcing him to vote on a zillion anti-gun measures - including gun bans, magazine limitations, gun owner registration and more.

But the prerequisite to this is for Toomey to join his Republican colleagues in supporting this filibuster - something he has yet to do.

And that is where you come in.

Senator Toomey needs to hear from Pennsylvanians from all over the state.

CeaseFirePA is planning to protest at Senator Toomey's office in Philadelphia at 10:30 am on Tuesday. If you or your family or your friends can show up to counter-protest, Sen. Toomey could definitely use your support.

These are just ideas to get you started. Bring anything else you can think of!

Click here to read more about the CeaseFire protest here.

ACTION: Contact Senator Toomey and urge him to support the Paul-Cruz-Lee filibuster and to OPPOSE any move to proceed to a gun control extravaganza (which includes the Feinstein ban) - as that will be regarded as a vote in favor of Feinstein.

You can call Senator Toomey and register your opposition to ALL gun control at 202-224-4254.

Click here to send Senator Toomey a prewritten email.

http://www.capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=62572731

Also, please consider counter-protesting CeaseFirePA so that Toomey knows there are more pro-gunners in the Keystone State than there are gun grabbers! Forward this alert to all your pro-gun family and friends, and to all your pro-gun lists!

 

[Colonel]

It looks like Toomey is the make-or-break guy in this fight:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obamas-make-or-break-week-on-guns-89726.html

ALL PENNSYLVANIA GUN OWNERS WHO WANT TO KEEP THEIR RIGHTS SHOULD CONTACT SENATOR TOOMEY'S OFFICE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION ON THIS!

http://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact

DC Office:

502 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4254
Fax: (202) 228-0284
​

Pittsburgh Office:

100 W. Station Square Dr.
Suite 225
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 803-3501
Fax: (412) 803-3504​