Dear
Patriot,
I need your help.
As I told you on
Monday, Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are offering an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 to limit
what is known as the “1033 Program,” which provides military “surplus” equipment to local law enforcement.
If this amendment passes, local police departments will no longer be able to obtain weapons of war -- like drones,
bayonets, tear gas, and grenade launchers -- to use against American citizens.
I have heard
Senate leadership may try to block a roll-call vote on the amendment. . .
And even if they allow
it to move forward, it will still have to get 60 votes for “cloture” before getting a vote.
It’s CRITICAL you and I turn up the heat and get more senators to support the amendment.
So please call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them
to support the Schatz-Paul Amendment to the NDAA and vote for it on all votes including cloture.
And then call Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at 202-224-2541 and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at
202-224-6542 and demand they give the Schatz-Paul Amendment an up-or-down vote.
Section 1033 has enabled the militarization of the police, which has led to increasing violations of individual liberties and even loss of innocent
life. . .
. . . without any reductions in crime.
Passage of this amendment would be a tremendous step forward in our efforts to stop the use of police state tactics against American
citizens.
But we must overcome the efforts of powerful lobbyists for the military-industrial
complex -- who profit from police militarization -- to quietly kill this amendment using Senate leadership from both sides of the aisle to prevent a
vote.
So please call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote YES on the
Schatz-Paul Amendment to the NDAA AND to vote for cloture.
And then call Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell at 202-224-2541 and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at 202-224-6542 and demand they give the Schatz-Paul Amendment an
up-or-down vote.
In Liberty,
Norm
Singleton
President
P.S. If you need more information on this
amendment, please see my message below.
Dear Patriot,
You may have seen them in your town. . .
Police armed with grenade launchers. . .
Driving around in militarized vehicles. . .
Drones flying through the skies keeping a watchful eye on the people.
And you may have wondered why your local police look (and increasingly act) like an occupying army.
The answer should not surprise you --it’s the federal government and their war on terror.
In 1997, Congress added Section 1033 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizing the transfer of military grade weapons to local police agencies.
The program really got ramped up when the “war on terror” began.
Today, even small towns that are highly unlikely to suffer a terrorist attack are using Section 1033 to obtain tanks, grenades, tear gas, and even weaponized drones.
And Section 1033’s “use it or lose it” provision incentivizes local police to use the military equipment obtained under 1033 for routine police work!
Fortunately, you and I have a chance to start rolling back police militarization, but we need to act fast!
You see, this week, the U.S. Senate is considering the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are offering an amendment that would forbid the use of Section 1033 to provide local police agencies with drones, tear gas, military vehicles like tanks, and other military weapons that have no place in domestic law enforcement.
But in order to make sure the Senate debates and votes on this amendment, we must overcome some procedural hurdles, the most significant of which is getting 60 votes for “cloture.”
So please call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote YES on the Schatz-Paul Amendment to the NDAA AND to vote for cloture.
Since its creation 23 years ago, Section 1033 has been used to transfer over $7 billion worth of tanks, grenades, weaponized drones, and other military equipment, to more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies.
Yet reports indicate none of this military equipment has helped police reduce crime or even made police safer.
What it has done is heighten the risk that even routine encounters with police will end in tragedy.
It is long past time to put an end to this program.
So please call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support the Schatz-Paul Amendment to the NDAA and to vote YES on cloture to ensure the Senate debates and votes on this important issue.
Turning local police into armed troops may be an ineffective means of protecting citizens and police from criminals, but it is an effective way of providing another source of cash for military contractors, who have outsized influence in Congress.
You can be sure lobbyists for the military-industrial complex are slithering around Capitol Hill twisting arms, cutting deals, and doing all they can to keep the amendment from getting a vote.
That’s why you and I must let the Senate know we are onto their games and will not accept any excuses.
If the Senate will not deal with this issue now, when will they?
So please call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote for the Schatz-Paul Amendment to the NDAA and YES on cloture to make sure the amendment is debated and voted on.
In recent weeks, we have once again seen equipment designed for war used against citizens in cities across America.
Today, the tear gas may be aimed at those protesting for police reforms, but in the future, it could be those protesting tax hikes, taking of private property, expansion of warrantless surveillance, or the Federal Reserve.
It could even be used against those protesting the loss of their jobs because of another government-imposed lockdown!
So please contact your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote for the Schatz-Paul Amendment and YES on cloture.
And please forward this email to your family and friends and ask them to contact their senators as well.
In Liberty,
Norman Singleton
