Beyond our previous post today, other grassroot orgs are expressing concern over members of Congress who want to take advantage of the current demands for "lobbying reform" and then who go beyond this to implement provisions that would actually be a restriction on the type of grassroots activism. Proposals that are legitimate responses to recent allegations of certain unethical actions by Members of Congress, congressional staff and lobbyists are not an issue. But nothing in those allegations provides any justification for the notion that Members of Congress should seize authority to scrutinize and regulate the constitutionally protected efforts -- of groups of conservative grassroots groups or even the liberal groups like MoveOn.org -- to alert citizens regarding legislative developments in Congress, and to encourage citizens to communicate their views to their elected representatives. The First Amendment protects the right to "petition the government," and such activities are at the heart of our republic.
Public Citizen, a liberal government watchdog, supposedly helped Pelosi draft the legislation and wants lawmakers to adopt the Internal Revenue Service's definition of "lobbying," which includes communication that encourages the general public to contact a member of Congress on pending legislation or public policy. In addition to today's previous posting, you can READ MORE on the controversial features of the bill and this assault on our most basic freedoms.
Send this post to everyone you know who wants to help tell Congress to support free speech rights and oppose restrictions on grassroots activism. In addition to the link in the prior posting which provided a means to contact your legislators, you may also do so through the following "ACTION ALERT" link.
Tell Legislators to Support Free Speech! Thank you!
Tags: congress, free speech, grassroots, lobbying
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