Time for the Final Push to stop Customs Pocket Knife Grab. We need you to write NOW! BUT, not all of you…
We have a targeted list of leaders of the House committees that will be involved in the Conference Committee that will decide if Amendment 1447 is included in the final bill. We need you to write ONLY if you are from their state, OR if you travel to their states for work or recreation (hunting, fishing, camping, etc.). In other words, to get their attention, you either need to be a constituent, or someone who supports their constituents with your money spent there. The states are:
| California Illinois |
Kentucky New York |
North Carolina Michigan |
Texas Wisconsin |
You’ll find a list of the Congressmen with addresses, fax and web sites below.
We have provided you a Model Letter to use to write the Congressmen.
- Model Letter in MS Word (.doc) format
- Model Letter in Rich Text Format (.rtf)
- Model Letter in Text (.txt) format
Because time is short, it is best by far to FAX it to the Congressman. A mailed letter can get hung up for days in processing and we need these letters there there by no later than Monday, Sept. 14 (FedEx or UPS will also work). If you can’t access a fax, then email from their web site. Email is usually NOT a choice for those who are not an actual constituent of the Congressman because their email forms generally do not accept emails that don’t come for constituents (with a few exceptions). Your fax gets past this block.
If you don’t have access to a FAX machine, there are a number of online fax services.
MyFax.com offers a free 30-day trial (free accounts are billed regularly after the first month unless canceled within 30 days, so be sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay).
You’ll find a list of the Congressmen with addresses, fax and web sites below.
The model letter has a place to personalize it. PLEASE take a few moments to do so in a compelling way. Please, be polite and respectful. We need these Members of Congress on our side to help pass this legislation. We understand, and respect, that some of these Members may not be on your favorites list. If we do not get this done, then knife owners and the knife industry are going to be in a world of hurt. So, please, don’t take out your general political frustrations in this letter. We succeeded in getting a unanimous vote in the Senate to get Amendment 1446 into the Senate version of the bill. We need the same bipartisan effort in the House to get this out of committee.
Please review the information above to ensure you should be writing. This is critical. There is no advantage, and potentially a disadvantage, to writing if you do not meet the criteria.
Thank you for your support.
NOTE: If you have a personal relationship with any of these Congressmen or their staff, and are willing to contact them to advocate on our behalf, please contact Doug Ritter by email or phone: 1-866-889-6268 or 602-476-2702.
FAXing is strongly recommended as the best way to communicate in this instance!
House Appropriations (Full Committee)
David Obey (WI) – Chairman
The Honorable David Obey
House Appropriations Committee
Room H-218, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
FAX: (715) 842-4488
Click for David Obey Email (apparently Obey’s email form stopped working. We are trying to locate an alternative, but best if you FAX)
Jerry Lewis (CA) Ranking Member
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
House Appropriations Committee
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-6498
House Appropriations (Homeland Security Subcommittee)
David Price (NC) – Chairman
The Honorable David Price
Room B-307 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-2014
Hal Rogers (KY) – Ranking Member
The Honorable Hal Rogers
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-0940
The Honorable House Energy and Commerce Committee (Full Committee)
Henry Waxman (CA) – Chairman
The Honorable Henry Waxman
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-4099
Joe Barton (TX) – Ranking Member
The Honorable Joe Barton
2322A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-3052
House Energy and Commerce Committee (Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee)
Bobby Rush (IL) – Chairman
The Honorable Bobby Rush
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 226-0333
George Radanovich (CA) – Ranking Member
The Honorable George Radanovich
2322A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-3402
Click for George Radanovich Email
House Ways and Means Committee (Full Committee)
Charles Rangel (NY) – Chairman
The Honorable Charles Rangel
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-0816
Click for Charles Rangel Email
Dave Camp (MI) – Ranking Member
The Honorable Dave Camp
1139E Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-9679
House Ways and Means Committee (Trade Subcommittee)
Sander Levin (MI) – Chairman
The Honorable Sander Levin
1104 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 226-1033
Kevin Brady (TX) – Ranking Member
The Honorable Kevin Brady
1139E Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
FAX: (202) 225-5524