Did Your Rep. Vote for the Beast? H.R. 666 could give green light for massive gun sweeps by Gun Owners of America (February 21, 1995) -- On February 8, Congress passed H.R. 666 -- a bill that would allow evidence seized from an illegal search to be included in a trial if the officers can claim they were acting in "good faith." (We're not joking; that is the bill's number.) On that same day, pro-gun Rep. Harold Volkmer (D-MO) introduced an amendment to exempt the BATF from getting these expanded powers. Mr. Volkmer defended his amendment saying that without it, the bill will give the BATF a "green light" to conduct warrantless searches. "They [will] not have to go to the magistrate and get a warrant for anything. They [can] just go right in there and bust those doors down and go in and take the guns," Volkmer said. The Volkmer amendment passed 228-198. The Representatives below voted against the Volkmer amendment. Gun Owners of America sent a letter to every Representative before the vote warning them that a vote against this amendment would be counted as an anti-gun vote. Mr. Volkmer helped publicize GOA's position by reading the letter on the House floor. If your Representative is listed below, please call and voice your displeasure (202-225-3121). Let them know that if the bill comes back from the Senate without the Volkmer amendment, you strongly urge him to VOTE AGAINST THE BILL. (It's a bad bill -- even if they keep the Volkmer amendment. Why should Congress remove the disincentives for ANY law enforcement agency to conduct warrantless searches?) Also, ask your Senators (202-224-3121) to oppose S 54, which is the House version of HR 666. Again, the following people voted anti-gun by voting AGAINST the Volkmer amendment in the House: Abercrombie Cunningham Hefley Lowey Rohrabacher Andrews Davis Heineman Lucas Ros-Lehtinen Archer Deal Hilleary Luther Roukema Armey DeLauro Hobson Maloney Royce Bachus DeLay Hoekstra Manton Sanford Baesler Deutsch Hoke Manzullo Sawyer Baker (CA) Diaz-Balart Horn Markey Saxton Baker (LA) Dickey Hostettler Martini Schiff Ballenger Dixon Houghton McCollum Schumer Barr Doggett Hoyer McCrery Sensenbrenner Barrett(NE) Dornan Hutchinson McDade Shadegg Barton Dreier Hyde McHale Shaw Bateman Ehlers Inglis McKeon Shays Beilenson Ehrlich Johnson (CT) McNulty Skeen Bentsen English Johnson (SD) Meyers Smith (MI) Bereuter Eshoo Johnston Mfume Smith (NJ) Berman Everett Jones Mica Smith (TX) Bilbray Ewing Kaptur Miller (FL) Talent Blute Fawell Kasich Molinari Taylor (NC) Boehlert Flanagan Kennelly Moran Thomas Boehner Ford Kim Morella Torkildsen Bonilla Fowler King Myrick Torricelli Bono Fox Kingston Neal Upton Brownback Frank (MA) Kleczka Nethercutt Waldholtz Bryant (TN) Franks (NJ) Knollenberg Neumann Walker Bunning Frelinghuysn Kolbe Norwood Wamp Burr Gallegly LaFalce Nussle Ward Buyer Ganske Lantos Owens Watts (OK) Calvert Gekas Largent Oxley Weldon (FL) Canady Gibbons Latham Packard Weldon (PA) Cardin Gilchrest LaTourette Pallone Weller Castle Gillmor Lazio Paxon White Chabot Goodlatte Leach Porter Wolf Chambliss Goodling Lewis (CA) Portman Wyden Christensen Goss Lewis (KY) Pryce Yates Clinger Greenwood Lightfoot Quinn Young (FL) Coble Gunderson Linder Radanovich Zeliff Collins(GA) Hansen Livingston Ramstad Zimmer Cox Hastert LoBiondo Regula Coyne Hayworth Longley Rivers This alert was posted by Gun Owners of America, 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151, (703)321-8585, fax: 321-8408. We cannot respond to e-mail.