ACTION REQUEST

U.S. House Debates Restricting Free Speech
About Politicians

WASHINGTON (June 8) - - The U.S. House of Representatives has begun to consider a number of so-called "campaign reform" bills, with crucial votes expected during June and perhaps later.

Several of the bills under consideration would severely restrict the right of citizen groups, such as NRLC and NRLC affiliates, to educate the public regarding the voting records and positions of specific politicians on pro-life issues. These bills would also restrict the right of pro-life groups to urge citizens to contact their elected representatives about upcoming votes in Congress.

Currently, the most dangerous bill under consideration is the Shays-Meehan Amendment, which the House will vote on in late June. The Shays-Meehan bill is based on the McCain-Feingold bill, which was blocked in the Senate in February. The Shays- Meehan bill is backed by President Clinton and by various special-interest groups (such as the League of Women Voters and Common Cause) that would like to silence competing political voices.

The Shays-Meehan measure contains numerous provisions that would restrict the right to freely discuss the positions of specific members of Congress on right-to-life issues - - all in the name of regulating "campaign-related spending."

If the Shays-Meehan bill or similar legislation were enacted, it would have a crippling impact on the right-to-life movement. Millions of citizens would be denied crucial information regarding the actions of politicians on important issues - - such as abortion - - and would be forced to rely mostly on the sketchy or distorted information often produced by the politicians themselves, or by the institutional news media.

Action Request

Call the local congressional district office of your U.S. House member, or call his Washington, D.C., office by dialing the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121, or call both offices. Urge the Congressman or Congresswoman to oppose the Shays-Meehan Amendment, the Asa Hutchinson "freshman" Amendment, and any other so-called "campaign reform" proposal that restricts the right of citizens, citizen groups, or political parties to speak to the public regarding the positions of those who hold or seek federal office. Politely request that you receive a written response explaining the lawmaker's position on the issue.

Recent editions of NRL News have contained much information regarding the importance of preserving free speech about politicians. Extensive additional information is available at the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org, including legal analyses of the Shays-Meehan and Hutchinson/"freshman" bills.

Please call the NRLC Federal Legislative Office with feedback regarding the positions of specific House members on the Shays-Meehan and Hutchinson/"freshman" bills, including reports that appear in the local press. Phone: (202) 626-8820. Fax: (202) 347- 3668. E-mail: Legfederal@aol.com.