Call or fax now to oppose Fee-Demo legislation

peterclimb · November 19, 2004

We need your help. It appears that the HR3283 Fee-Demo resolution isn't quite dead yet. Please read on and call the senators and congresspersons listed below.

-Peter

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!!!IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED !!!

Wednesday night we shared with you the good news that Congressman Regula had backed off the attemt to attach the permanent fee bill HR 3283 to the appropriations omnibus as a rider. Unfortunately the story does not end there.

On Wednesday, House leaders tried to insert into the Omnibus Appropriations bill the language of Representative Ralph Regula's (R-OH) fee-demo bill HR 3283. If successfully attached, upon passage of the Appropriations

Bill, HR 3283 would become the law of the land, regardless of the fact that Regula's bill was not introduced in the US Senate, given a hearing, voted upon or passed by a majority of Senators.

On Wednesday evening key Senators, including the Chairs of the Interior Appropriations, Energy & Natural Resources, National Parks, and Public Lands Committees and subcommittees solidly opposed inclusion of HR 3283 into

the Appropriations Bill, and through their steadfast efforts the fee-demo rider was not attached.

What happened after that is not precisely known, but based upon ongoing conversations with the staffs of Senate leaders, it appear that Congressman Regula went directly to the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and

asked for additional muscle to be brought to bear in getting his rider attached. Hastert, in turn, appears to have gone over the heads of the above Senators and struck a deal with either Senate Appropriations Committee Chair

Ted Stevens (R-AK) or Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The upshot is that Regula's fee-demo bill has now been inserted into the bill.

Yet the story does not end here either. Those key Senators who successfully fought off Regula's challenge are not giving up the fight. Senators Domenici (R-NM), Thomas (R-WY), Craig (R-ID) and Burns (R-MT) are now working to

have Regula's language REMOVED from the Omnibus bill before the final bill is voted upon (which may be Sunday or sooner).

They need your help and here's what you can do:

WHO TO CALL/FAX TODAY (and continue faxing through the weekend!)

(1) Senator Bill Frist (R-TN),

Senate Majority Leader,

phone (202) 224-3344

fax (202) 228-1264

(2) Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK),

Chair Senate Appropriations Committee,

phone (202) 224-7363

fax (202) 228-0248

(3) Rep. Bill Young (R-FL)

Chair House Appropriations Committee

phone (202) 225-2771

fax (202) 225-9764

(4) Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)

Leader of the House

phone (202) 225-5951

fax (202) 225-5241

(5) Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)

Speaker of the House

phone (202) 225-2976

fax (202) 225-0697

WHAT TO SAY ON THE PHONE:

Please oppose HR 3283 as a rider to the Interior Appropriations bill.

SAMPLE FAX: (please vary a little)

Please oppose HR 3283 as an Interior Appropriations rider.

S. 1107, the National Parks recreation fee bill, has already been approved by the Senate.

Permanent fees for the other public lands agencies should come before public hearings in the next session of Congress. It is inappropriate to legislate permanent recreation fees by rider in a lame duck session of Congress.

Thank you,

Yours sincerely,

(Please print your name and address very clearly).