The House Judiciary Committee is expected to reconsider the “grassroots gag order” when the Meehan Amendment (H.R. 2093) will be offered on Tuesday, May 15, during debate on a broader "lobbying reform" bill. This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.), would establish, for the first time, federal regulatory authority over efforts aimed at motivating citizens to communicate with their representatives about bills moving in Congress.
This threat is so serious that American Family Association has joined with other pro-family groups, as well as organizations from the left of the political spectrum, including the ACLU, to oppose the bill. Last week, we signed a joint letter calling on members of Congress to reject this dangerous effort to exclude men and women like you from the democratic process.
The full House of Representatives is expected to act on the "lobbying reform" legislation on May 22. Depending on what happens in the Judiciary Committee on May 15, the full House may also vote on whether to include the Meehan provision in the broader bill.
Meehan Amendment That Limits Free Speech
Bill # H.R.2093
Status:
05/01/2007: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Committee/Subcommittee Activity:
Judiciary: Referral, In Committee
Amendment(s):
***NONE***
Sponsor/Cosponsor(s) 2:
Meehan, Marty (D-MA 5th)
Shays, Christopher (RCT 4th)
To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to provide for additional reporting by lobbying firms. This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.), would establish, for the first time, federal regulatory authority over efforts aimed at motivating citizens to communicate with their representatives about bills moving in Congress.
To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to provide for additional reporting by lobbying firms. (Introduced in House)
HR 2093 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2093
To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to provide for additional reporting by lobbying firms.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 1, 2007
Mr. MEEHAN (for himself and Mr. SHAYS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to provide for additional reporting by lobbying firms.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DISCLOSURE OF PAID COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS TO INFLUENCE THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO LOBBY CONGRESS.
(a) Applicability- The amendments made by this section shall not apply to any person or entity other than a lobbying firm that is retained on behalf of a client other than that person or entity. No person or entity other than a lobbying firm is required to register or file a report under the amendments made by this section.
(b) Definitions- Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (7), by adding at the end the following: `For purposes of a lobbying firm only, the term `lobbying activities' includes paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress.';
(2) in paragraph (9)--
(A) in the first sentence--
(i) by striking `means a person' and inserting
`(A) means--
`(i) a person';
(ii) by moving the remaining text of the sentence 4 ems to the right; and
(iii) by striking `entity.' and inserting `entity; and
`(ii) a person or entity that is retained by 1 or more clients (other than that person or entity) to engage in paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress, and receives income of, or spends or agrees to spend, an aggregate of $100,000 or more for such efforts in any quarterly period; and'; and
(B) in the last sentence--
(i) by striking `The term also includes' and inserting
`(B) includes'; and
(ii) by moving the remaining text of the sentence 2 ems to the right; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
`(17) PAID COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS TO INFLUENCE THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO LOBBY CONGRESS- The term `paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress' means any efforts by a lobbying firm, on behalf of a client that retains the firm, to influence the general public or segments thereof to contact 1 or more covered legislative or executive branch officials (or Congress generally) to urge such officials (or Congress) to take specific action with respect to a matter described in paragraph (
(A), except that such term does not include--
`(A) communications made to the members of the client; or
`(B) direct mail communications to the general public, or segments of the general public, that are made primarily for the purpose of recruiting members to join an organization.'.
(c) Registration- Section 4(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the following and redesignating the succeeding paragraph accordingly:
`(3) FILING BY CERTAIN LOBBYING FIRMS- Any person or entity that qualifies as a lobbying firm under section 3(9)(A)(ii) shall register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives not later than 45 days after such lobbying firm is first retained by a client to engage in paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress.'.
(d) Separate Itemization of Paid Communications Campaigns To Influence the General Public To Lobby Congress- Section 5(b) of the Act (2 U.S.C. 1604(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by striking `firm, a good' and inserting `firm--
`(A) a good';
(B) by moving the remaining text 2 ems to the right; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
`(B) a separate good faith estimate of the total amount of income relating specifically to paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress, if such income from the client exceeds $50,000 during the quarterly filing period; and'; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
`Subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (2) shall not apply with respect to reports relating to paid communications campaigns to influence the general public to lobby Congress.'.
Author