Subject: Kerry's Voting Record against 2nd Amendment and Hunting
John Kerry`s Voting Record on Second Amendment and Hunting Issues
His voting record makes John F. Kerry the most anti-gun Presidential nominee
in United States history. Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 1984,
John F. Kerry has cast 59 votes (NRA did not score 4 of them) on issues
involving firearms rights and hunting. These votes included votes to ban
guns, to impose waiting periods on gun buyers, to financially punish gun
manufactures for operating a legal business and to restrict the free speech
of Second Amendment advocates.
In addition, Kerry currently is a co-sponsor of S. 1431, which would ban all
semi-automatic shotguns, all detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifles and
many other guns, calling the whole lot "assault weapons."
Following are highlights of those votes that demonstrate Kerry`s unwavering
record of opposition to gun owners` rights.
Overview
In a 20-year career, Kerry voted with gun owners only four times, and each
of those votes comes with qualifications. He voted:
1) against a bill NRA opposed for final passage only after Kerry helped
sabotage the bill by adding anti-gun amendments (S. 1805)
2) for a non-biding sense of the Senate motion that had no actual impact (S.
2521 in 2000)
3) for a study of "armor piecing" ammunitiona vote he made moot a few
minutes later by voting for a broad ban of center-fire rifle ammunition
(Votes 27 and 28 in 2004 on S. 1805)
4) to allow airline pilots to carry firearms (vote 210 in 2002 on HR 5005).
In all, he cast only one real vote for gun owners` rights, and it in support
of a narrow group of people charged with responsibility for the safety of
others.
Comparing Kerry`s votes to other well known anti-gun Senators who have
served with him shows:
1) he voted with Ted Kennedy on all but three votes, and only one of those
three had any impactthe vote to arm pilots.
2) he voted with Charles Schumer, the leading anti-gun voice in the Senate,
on all but one vote, and that was the non-binding sense of the Senate motion
mentioned above (Senate vote 1030).
3) Kerry has a much more anti-gun record than 2000 Democrat Presidential
candidate, Al Gore, Jr., who cast votes on 12 key issues before becoming
part of the most anti-gun administration in history. Gore voted to protect
Second Amendment rights five times on votes related to passage of the
Firearms Owners` Protection Act and once to stop a semi-auto ban. Kerry
opposed gun owners in each instance.
Gun Bans
Kerry has voted on nine separate occasions on issues directly related to
banning semi-auto firearms. In 1990 he voted three times to support a ban on
semi-autos. He was one of only 17 to vote for Howard Metzenbaum`s amendment
to S. 1970, that would have banned not only a list of specific firearms but
would have banned any firearms similar to those specified. On two other
occasions, Kerry voted to support Dennis DeConcini-sponsored legislation to
ban nine specific firearms for three years.
In 1993 Kerry voted for the Dianne Feinstein-sponsored Clinton Gun Ban and
further supported the passage of that legislation in 1994 by voting to
support the Omnibus Crime bill on three key votes. Finally, in 2004 he voted
to reauthorize the Clinton Gun Ban.
Ammunition Ban
Kerry voted in 2004 to ban most center-fire rifle ammunition, including the
most common rounds used by target shooters and hunters. Kerry voted in
support of Ted Kennedy`s amendment to S. 1805 that would have banned rifle
ammunition capable of penetrating soft body armor. Congress has repeatedly
rejected such a "performance-based" approach.
Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs)
Kerry voted in 1985 to allow BATF to conduct unlimited warrant-less
inspections of FFL holders. Well-documented and shocking BATF abuses of
license holders were a primary reason the Firearms Owners` Protection Act
was introduced in Congress and signed into law by President Reagan. Kerry
was one of only 18 Senators to vote to allow such abuseswhich liberal
Democrat Congressman John Dingell called the acts of "jack-booted
fascists"to continue.
In 1993 Kerry was one of 30 Senators who supported an amendment to H.R. 2403
that would have increased the fee for a FFL by more than 37 times. The
result of this amendment would have been to force many small or part-time
firearms dealers out of business. This would have had a significant impact
on both the availability and price of firearms particularly in rural areas
of the nation.
Campaign Finance Reform
Kerry consistently supported passage of campaign finance "reform"
legislation. NRA consistently and vigorously opposed such efforts to
prohibit the exercise of free speech during the crucial weeks leading up to
elections. Kerry voted in 1996 and 1997 for legislation that failed to win
final passage and voted in 2001 for S. 27, the bill that became law.
When NRA announced it was considering acquiring a television or radio outlet
and seeking the same exemption from campaign finance rules that news
organizations have, Kerry sent the Federal Election Commission a letter
urging the commission "to prevent the NRA from hijacking America`s airwaves
with the gun lobby`s money." (Associated Press, Dec. 9, 2003)
Civilian Marksmanship Program
Kerry voted twice to eliminate the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). In
1993 he voted in support of an amendment to eliminate its funding, and in
1996 he voted to abolish the CMP`s successor, the Corporation for the
Promotion of Rifle Practice and Safety, a federally chartered civilian
marksmanship program.
Mandatory Storage
Kerry twice supported legislation that would have mandated the inclusion of
trigger locks with any handgun sale. In 1998 he supported the Barbara Boxer
amendment to S. 2260, and in 1999 he voted for the Herb Kohl amendment to S.
254. Both required that trigger locks be included with all handgun sales. In
1998 he voted against Larry Craig`s amendment to S. 2260 that would have
recognized that gun locks are not the only method to safely store a firearm
by simply requiring the availability of gun locks, but would have left the
choice of the best safety method to the individual gun buyer.
Gun Shows
On a number of different occasions, Kerry has voted to regulate gun shows by
imposing a background check requirement on private gun owners that goes
beyond the requirements for FFL holders operating in a gun store. Kerry
twice voted in 1999 to require that all gun sales at a gun show go through
an FFL holder. That legislation would have allowed authorities up to three
days to conduct the checks, threatening the operation of gun shows, which
are typically two-day, weekend events. Kerry placed two additional votes
supporting passage of this legislation.
In 2004 Kerry again voted to regulate gun shows by mandating background
checks on guns sold by private individuals at gun shows, again allowing up
to three days to complete the check.
Hunting
Kerry voted in 1994 to close off 1,181,000 acres of California`s Mojave
Desert to hunting. He supported a proposal to designate tens of thousands of
acres of the Mojave desert as a national park, where hunting would have been
prohibited. He voted against a proposal to make the area a national monument
which would have allowed hunting to continue.
Kerry, unlike 56 of his fellow Senators, is not a member of the
Congressional Sportsmen`s Caucus. With more than 300 members in the House
and Senate, it is one of the largest Caucuses in the U.S. Congress, and is
"open to Congressmen and Senators who are sportsmen or who support the
concept of sustained use and wildlife management, even if they do not
themselves take to the fields and waters to fish, hunt or trap."
Firearms Owners` Protection Act (FOPA)
In 1985 Kerry was one of only 26 Senators to support a Kennedy amendment to
FOPA to continue the ban on the interstate sale of handguns to law-abiding
Americans. He also was one of only 15 Senators who voted against final
passage of FOPA, a bill designed to specifically protect the constitutional
rights of law-abiding gun owners by removing the ban on interstate sales of
rifles and shotguns, curtail BATF abuses of FFL holders by limiting the
number of routine inspections and other provisions. Magazine Bans,
On two occasions, first in 1998 and again in 1999, Kerry voted to ban the
importation of high- capacity magazines. On both occasions he voted to
support a Feinstein amendment to block importation of magazines manufactured
before the ban on these magazines was implemented in 1994. He also voted for
the 1993 Crime Bill, that included the ban on these magazines.
Gun Law Prosecutions and Penalties
Kerry voted in 1999 against an amendment to the Juvenile Justice bill that
called for increased mandatory minimum and maximum penalties for the illegal
transfer or use of a firearm. Instead of supporting this legislation that
focused its impact on criminals, Kerry supported broad regulation of
law-abiding gun buyers.
In contrast, the year before Kerry voted to impose excessive penalties of a
year in prison and a $10,000 fine on an adult if a juvenile gains access to
their firearm, even by theft, and then merely displays it in a public place.
Reckless Lawsuits
In 2004 Kerry returned from the campaign trail for the first time that year
to cast votes against gun owners and to argue against the passage of the
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This bill would have protected
gun manufacturers from the politically motivated lawsuits that are being
filed with the intent of bankrupting the industry. The bill was defeated
after it was amended to include renewal of the Clinton Gun Ban and gun show
regulation, both supported by Kerry.
In 2000 Kerry was one of only 29 Senators to vote to prohibit gun
manufactures from discharging debts created by the reckless lawsuits filed
by municipalities. This move was a clear attack on the viability of gun
manufacturers, designed to punish them even as they continued to win in
court.
Waiting Periods
Kerry has consistently supported the imposition of a waiting period on gun
purchases. In 1985 he voted to require a national 14-day wait. In 1991 he
voted for a 7-day wait, and in 1992 he supported a 5- day wait. He also
voted in 1993 to specifically allow the continuation of state waiting
periods after the advent of the National Instant Check system (NICS), and he
voted to strike the sunset of the federal waiting period after
implementation of NICS. In all, Kerry voted 11 times to force law-abiding
citizens to wait to exercise their Second Amendment rights..
Other Issues
Kerry denounced NRA`s successful efforts to eliminate monies being spent
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance gun control
policies. (Boston Herald, Aug. 14, 1996)
Voted against the confirmation of John Ashcroft.
Voted to spend $15 million intended for housing programs on ineffective
gun buy-back programs.
Voted to commend the Million Mom March in 2000 for their march on
Washington that included calls for gun owner licensing, gun registration and
other restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.
