Congress is on summer break right now, but they will be gaveling back in very soon. And that means we have some tough choices to make over the next few weeks. Let me explain.
House Republicans have the smallest majority since 1931.
With his majority being just 222-212, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy can barely run the chamber. The last thing he wants to do is rock the boat by taking a stand on…anything.
Meantime, Biden’s non-stop war against the Second Amendment is reaching a fever-pitch. Hundreds of House Democrats have co-sponsored Biden’s gun control bills. More add their names daily.
And it gets worse.
Multiple House Republicans — like Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick — are actively pushing for gun control in the GOP conference and are working to bring other RINOs with them!
And with another shooting taking place every other week (usually carried out by an enraged leftist hopped up on mind-altering drugs) the media has the entire country on edge.
If we see any more betrayals in the House Republican conference, Joe Biden will have the votes to pass gun control.
I would like to think that Minnesota’s Congressional delegation is unassailable. I know all of them.
But with the MNGOP showing such weakness and lack of fight in the past, we can’t take anything for granted. The stakes are just too high.
But there is a limit to how much MGR can afford to spend pressuring our Congressional delegation. I’d love to go ‘all in’ and run full programs on each of the threats we’re facing in Congress, as well as our work in St Paul, but I simply can’t.
That’s why I am emailing to you today, so that you can tell me which fights you want MGR to engage in this fall.
So please read this entire update. And when you’re done, please fill out your MGR Congressional Threat Response Ballot IMMEDIATELY!
It’s clear that Joe Biden’s ultimate goal is passage of an ‘assault weapons’ ban. This legislation (H.R. 698/S. 25) already has 205 cosponsors in the House and 42 cosponsors in the Senate.
This legislation would make it a felony to buy an AR-15.
But it’s not just that.
Biden’s ‘assault weapons’ ban would make it a crime to buy hundreds of similar firearms, as well. The American people would be left with hunting rifles and .22’s!
That’s exactly what Biden and his allies want: a population of serfs, unable to oppose a government that turns on them.
While this legislation contains a grandfather clause, it’s only good for one generation. That means that your grandson would never be able to inherit your rifle. It’s an obvious trap.
And don’t forget, when this legislation passed the House last year, over a half dozen Republicans voted for it!
Of course, this is not the only threat we are facing.
Another top-tier priority of the Biden White House and the Radical Left in Congress is passage of a national registry of gun owners -– referred to as ‘Universal Background Checks.’
Biden would have us believe that this is about stopping crime, but that’s a joke. Almost every mass shooting of the last decade was carried out by someone who passed a background check.
No, this legislation has one purpose: to criminalize the private sale of firearms and give Biden a list of gun owners.
Throughout history, dictators have disarmed their people.
And that’s exactly what the Left wants to do, eventually. But before that can happen, they first need to know which Americans own guns. That’s what H.R. 715/S. 497 was designed for, to create an ever-growing list of gun owners!
And what makes this legislation especially dangerous is the number of Republicans who support it.
You see, the lead sponsor of this legislation in the House isn’t a crazy Democrat, it’s Republican Brian Fitzpatrick! And because it was filed by a Republican, it’s far easier to pass!
The Democrats have no problem support GOP-sponsored gun control, that’s why 205 of them have co-sponsored the bill.
But we’re not just facing legislative threats these days.
As you know, Joe Biden is furious that gun owners have blocked his legislative agenda in Congress so far.
That’s why he’s unleashed on gun owners through a series of Executive Orders that ban pistol braces and 80% lower receivers, halted ammunition imports and much more.
These orders are complete tyranny. They were never voted on in Congress. There were no committee hearings. Despite that, millions of gun owners are facing felony charges right now!
The pistol braces are just one example.
According to the Congressional Research Office, an estimated 10-40,000,000 Americans own pistol braces.
These are items that make certain pistols easier to control. The ATF repeatedly stated that these items were legal. Then, last year, Joe Biden unilaterally said they were not.
Now, possession of one of these braces is a felony offense!
Since this rule isn’t a law, we can’t fix this in Congress. The only way to deal with this is by dragging Joe Biden into Federal Court –and that’s exactly what we are doing.
Working with our national affiliate, we have filed our Amicus Brief in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals!
This is going to take time, and our lawyers think the pistol brace issue will end up before the Supreme Court before it’s all over.
I hope it does. Make no mistake, this lawsuit isn’t about pistol braces. It’s about the limits of Executive authority. If Biden can make pistol braces illegal with the stroke of a pen, why couldn’t he ban 30-round magazines or something else?
But most times, the best defense is a strong offense.
While our gun rights are facing relentless attacks in Congress these days, we also have ferocious Second Amendment champions sponsoring excellent legislation.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) have recently filed national Stand-Your-Ground law, and now it’s time for Minnesota’s Congressional Republicans to co-sponsor this bill!
Stand-Your-Ground law removes the requirement to retreat before you can defend yourself against a violent criminal, making it harder for a woke prosecutor to come after you.
Without Stand-Your-Ground law, you can be locked away in prison for decades for the ‘crime’ of self-defense.
While some people may have written that threat off as ‘dramatic’ in the past, the high-profile prosecutions of Kyle Rittenhouse and Mark McCloskey in 2021 changed that forever.
Sure, both Rittenhouse and McCloskey were found not guilty or were pardoned. But they went through hell on earth, first.
The other value of fighting for this legislation is that it helps us see which ‘pro-gun Republicans’ are more than talk.
I’m sure by now you can see why I am so torn.
Each of these fights are critical. Each of them deserves our full attention. But each of them takes resources and we simply can’t afford to engage in each of the political fights I laid out above.
That’s why it’s vital that you fill out your MGR Congressional Threat Response Ballot, so I know what YOU want.
And, when you do, you’ll see that I have also included another option on the ballot. I haven’t spoken about it yet, because it’s not an option without a major infusion of funds.
But, being candid, this is the option I hope you’ll choose.
I know that’s a lot. And I know you’ve given much to help us over the years. But we’re facing greater threats than ever before.
What we do over the next few months may well decide if our grandchildren still have a Second Amendment…or not.
That’s not sensationalism. That’s reality.
So, if $250 is just too much, won’t you please agree to $100, or at least $50?
Congress comes back into session in just a few weeks. I need to hear from you as soon as possible.
Please fill out your Response Ballot and make your most generous contribution right away.
For Freedom,
Ben Dorr
Executive Director
Minnesota Gun Rights