Congress moves to erode rights to speech, press, petition.

Using the Jack Abramoff bribery scandal and other recent campaign contribution/bribery scandals as a pretext, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), is trying to limit grass-roots activism by labeling it as "lobbying." The American Family Association, the Traditional Values Coalition, Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family, and other pro-family, pro-life groups are leading a nationwide effort to stop this assault on the First Amendment, which was put on the fast track for Senate action in January.

"The Traditional Values Coalition is deeply concerned about the grass-roots lobbying requirements in Section 220 of S. 1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act," said TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon on January 12. "This legislation will place onerous reporting requirements on individuals and organizations that lobby our national leaders on issues of importance to them. And, it will impose draconian fines--including potential criminal penalties--for failure to obey these new lobby restrictions." Rev. Sheldon points out that Section 220 will target any organization with more than 500 supporters or if a communication reaches 500 or more individuals.

The reporting requirements and penalties in Section 220 "will place incredible financial and time burdens on grassroots groups as well as potential fines--thus making it less likely that these groups risk communicating with their members on important issues," said Rev. Sheldon. "This cleverly-written section doesn't directly assault free speech, but it creates a climate of fear that chills free speech. Wall a small grassroots group speak out if it fears being fined for failing to file the correct reports to Congress? This legislation is a subversion of our First Amendment rights."