The grassroots can continue to grow.
Language that would have buried Focus on the Family Action and others in needless paperwork any time they communicate to constituents concerning issues that are before Congress was killed in the House Judiciary Committee today.
“This bill would have had far-reaching impact on our constituents,” said Ashley Horne, federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action. “So any citizen who weighed in with members of the Judiciary Committee was directly responsible for this huge victory. And that is grassroots action at its best.”
More than 130,000 people signed a Focus Action petition opposing the bill.
Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Daniel Lungren, R-Calif., offered passionate opposition to the language at issue. On the Democratic side, committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan and Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama also spoke against the idea.
"The very grassroots activity that would be muzzled by this amendment is what killed it: Calls, e-mails and petitions to members of the House sent by constituents who heard about the measure through groups like Focus on the Family Action and urged their representatives to oppose it,” said Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issues analysis for Focus Action.
“This is evidence of the influence citizen activists can have on their elected representatives."
The full House is expected to take up the Lobbying Transparency Act of 2007 next week.
(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)
