ACTION REQUEST

U.S. House Debates Shays-Meehan Restrictions On
Free Speech About Politicians

WASHINGTON (July 6) - - The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Shays-Meehan "campaign reform" amendment in late July or early August.

The Shays-Meehan Amendment (equivalent to the Senate's McCain-Feingold bill) contains numerous provisions that 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.

It would also restrict the right of pro-life groups to urge citizens to contact their elected representatives about upcoming votes in Congress.

All pro-life House members need to hear from constituents who are opposed to this measure.

Besides NRLC, many other groups also strongly oppose the bill, including the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, the American Family Association, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Shays-Meehan bill is backed by various special-interest groups (such as the League of Women Voters and Common Cause) that would like to silence competing political voices, and by President Clinton.

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. The media are exempt from the bill's sweeping restrictions on commentary regarding politicians' positions on issues.

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 other pending "campaign reform" 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.

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, because it restricts the right of citizens and citizen groups to speak to the public without restriction 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.