The Trace: Is Merrick Garland Anti-Gun

This morning, Bloomberg's anti-gun mouthpiece The Trace asks the "Is Merrick Garland Anti-Gun" then sets out to tell us that everything that we heard from pro-rights groups after President Obama announced his new Supreme Court pick doesn't really mean anything:

This critique, foreshadowed by gun rights proponents over the past few weeks as Garland’s name surfaced as a possible candidate to replace Antonin Scalia, is largely premised on a procedural vote Garland made in a 2007 case that centered on whether Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban was unconstitutional.

But those who denounce Garland in the name of gun rights might be misreading that 2007 vote, which was in favor of allowing more judges on his court to review a decision made by a three-judge panel, says Joseph Blocher, a constitutional law professor at Duke University.

Rather than definitive evidence that Garland would like to curtail gun rights, the vote may simply be an indication that he is a jurist who is especially deferential to rulings made by previous courts, Blocher says.

“It is impossible to tell” what Garland meant by voting for rehearing, Blocher tells The Trace. “It may well be that he just wanted the whole court to weigh in on such a major decision. That would not be particularly unusual.”

With all due respect to Professor Blocher, I'll take VSSA Life Member Steve Halbrook and  Dave Kopel's insight on the issue. Halbrook appeared on NRANews yesterday to discuss the nomination.

Kopel wrote back in 2008 in America's First Freedom:

Merrick Garland is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He could be counted on not only to oppose Second Amendment rights in general, but even to nullify explicit congressional statutes that protect those rights.

In 2007, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit ruled against the D.C. handgun ban in the case of Parker v. District of Columbia (which was the name of the case that eventually became District of Columbia v. Heller when it went before the Supreme Court). The D.C. government asked for a rehearing of the case, before all 10 judges of the D.C. Circuit.

Six judges voted not to rehear the case, while four judges voted for a rehearing, presumably because they disagreed with the three-judge panel that had ruled against the handgun ban. Garland was one of the four judges who wanted a chance to validate the handgun ban.

In 2000, Garland was on a three-judge panel that heard the case of NRA v. Reno. In that case, the Janet Reno Department of Justice had flouted the congressional statutes that prohibit the federal government from compiling a registration list of gun owners, and which required the destruction of national instant check (NICS) records of lawful, approved gun purchases.

Judge Garland voted to let Reno get away with it. He said that registering all the people who were approved by NICS was permissible because Reno was not registering every gun owner in the country. And he said it was fine for Reno to keep gun buyer records for six months because although Congress had said the records must be destroyed, it did not say “immediately.”

It is expected that Virginia's Senators Warner and Kaine will stay in lock step with Obama on this nominee but it won't hurt for gun owners to register their opposition and point out the above as reasons that anyone who claims to support the 2nd Amendment, as both Warner and Kaine do, should oppose Garland for the Supreme Court.

Hat tip to Shall Not Be Questioned.

Obama Still Believes Assault Weapons Ban is Good Policy

During a joint Q&A session with the Mexican President yesterday, both President Obama and President Calderon were asked about the expired American ban on certain semi-automatic firearms.

President Obama was asked if he had backed off on his campaign promise to push for a renewal of the ban and if so, how would he explain his broken campaign promise to the American people? Obama responded:

I haven't backed off at all from my belief that the assault weapons ban made sense...Having said that, none of us are under any illusion that reinstating that ban would be easy. What we've focused on is how we can improve our enforcement under existing laws.

It's interesting that he chided "those who have put off the hard decisions" in a speech earlier in the week during a speech at Georgetown University, but I digress.

The President went on to day that he continue to believe that we can respect and honor the Second Amendment right in our Constitution, throwing out the obligatory support to the rights of sportsmen and hunters. He even mentioned the rights of those who want firearms for self-defense (this from a man who was quoted on the campaign trail as being an opponent of concealed carry). But he immediately returned to the talking points on the teleprompter by saying we can respect the rights of all of these people and still help Mexico fight the crime committed by the drug cartels.

Both Obama and Calderon referenced the now debunked figure of 90% of illegal guns in Mexico come from the U.S.

State Department Floating Ammo Import Ban?

It looks like those who said the Obama Administration would strike while the iron is hot may have been correct, and the Administration may be doing it in a way that does not require them to even get a vote in Congress. In this morning's edition of the Shooting Wire, Jim Shepherd writes that Canadian officials have it on "good authority" our State Department may be on the verge of cutting off all imports of certain calibers of ammunition.

Ammos listed for this rumored ban include the .50BMG, 7.62x39mm Soviet, 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester, 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. Additionally, we're hearing that an expansion of this proposed ban might be broadened to include the 6.8mm SPC, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP- among others.

In other words, State Department officials may be floating a trial balloon to see if there are howls of protest, or whimpers of compliance. Canadian elected officials who have directed this information to me say the move seems to be motivated by "emboldened" anti-gun officials who think they have a kindred spirit in President Obama.

Shepherd continues that there may also be a plan to ban exports on certain firearms to Canada from the US, resulting in the State Department hammering gun manufacturers, distributors and exporters in the United States while simultaneously making firearms -and ammunition - ownership and acquisition more difficult for Canadians.

Many in the pro-rights community have said since the election that Obama could circumvent Congress by using regulations in his various cabinet departments to attack gun owners. It appears that it may have already begun.

The Story That Will Not Go Away

I received a phone call yesterday from the local ABC affiliate (WRIC TV8) asking me for reaction to the Obama election victory and what it means for gun owners. I told the reporter my thoughts as posted here the day after the election and emailed her a copy of the VSSA alert that members received about Obama's gun control proposals found on the Official Transition web site (since taken down at some point after Saturday).

Last night, Nightline did a story on the nationwide increase in gun sales.



Not surpisingly, there is a run on firearms like AR-15s. Also not surprisingly, the reporter said the NRA had scared gun owners into believing Obama was going to take away everyone's guns. I don't think even Obama believes he can take away guns that are already in our possession and NRA has never said Obama was going to come into our homes and take them. But, he can make it harder for us to buy firearms and that is exactly what he plans to do. He also is planning to take away the privacy of gun owners by ending protections of the Tiahrt Amendment - the appropriations rider that requires the distruction of gun sales records after 60 days.

Gun owners, we are in for a rough four years.

Update: A gun shop owner in Arizona tells Reuters this and it reflects my thoughts on this topic:

I'd rather that (Republican Sen. John) McCain got in and there's not a big scare and we just followed our normal sales, rather than say right now we are going to make a lot of money for a few months, and then in a few months, possibly, our business could be shut down.

It's All Over But the Voting

Gun owners should know by now how much is at stake in today's election so get out and vote - and vote your values, vote for your freedom, and defeat Barack Obama.

For some good commentary on what the results of Senate and House races will mean for our freedom, read Dave Kopel's piece over at National Review. Kopel also had a great article in the Rocky Mountain News on the differences between Obama and McCain on guns. Given there are still 8% of voters who say they are undecided, if you know a gun owner that has not made up their mind, give them Kopel's article.

Gun Sales Increase Part II

I posted on this earlier this week but it continues to be news. Cam Edwards on NRANews last night led his program with it as well. The increase in gun sales as the election approaches is clearly a nationwide story. All you have to do is google "Increase in Gun Sales" and you get page after page of articles around the nation, even here in Virginia.



National Review's Jim Geraghty said on NRANews last night it is possible that if Obama wins and he has increased majorities in both houses of Congress as expected, that Obama will try to strike while the "iron is hot" and push through things like a renewal of the Clinton gun ban. Geraghty believes it will be hard for even normally pro-gun Democrats (i.e. like a Heath Shuler) to resist the arm twisting from a president in the same party in the first 100 days.

NRA to Continue Hitting Obama on Guns in Virginia

The National Rifle Association will continue taking aim at Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. in battleground states, including Virginia, with this new ad.



"Imagine your child screaming in the middle of the night when a convicted felon breaks into your home," the narrator says. "Worse, he comes back a second time. You use a firearm to defend yourself and your family. Unbelievably, Obama voted to make you the criminal…"

The ad refers to a 2003 incident when a Wilmette, Ill., resident named Hale DeMar shot and wounded a burglar who broke into his house. DeMar was prosecuted by the town of Wilmette, which had, at the time, a ban on the possession of handguns, so some Illinois lawmakers introduced legislation to offer legal protections to individuals who use firearms in self-defense. The bill passed the Illinois state House by a vote of 86-25, and the Illinois state Senate -- where Obama voted against it -- by a vote of 39-20.

Don't believe the polls. This race is still winnable. If you can help defeat Obama, contact your NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) today.

Obama and the NRA Ads

Senator Barack Obama last week sent "cease and desist" letters to television stations running the NRA ads aimed at debunking Obama's stated support for the Second Amendment. Obama for his part told a group in Jefferson County Ohio last week that hunters and sportsmen had did not have to fear him taking their sporting guns. Today, a group of Missouri Democratic prosecutors and sheriffs have formed a "Truth Squad" to "target anyone who lies or runs a misleading TV ad during the presidential campaign."

Today's Richmond Times Dispatch has a great editorial that explains exactly what the NRA Ads Obama seeks to squash seek to point out. The RTD editors write:

The Democrat seems to have undergone a campaign conversion -- he now claims to have "no intention of taking away folks' guns." But he frequently describes restrictions on gun ownership as "common sense," and his statements supporting gun rights often come with a "but." His record suggests a deep and strongly felt antipathy to gun rights. Rare is the anti-gun measure he has voted against.

He also takes pains to avoid saying he would oppose on principle even the most extreme gun-control proposals. Instead, he says they aren't politically viable. A complete ban on handguns? That is "not politically practicable." Take away the family deer rifle? "Even if I wanted to take it away, I couldn't get it done. I don't have the votes in Congress." Licensing all firearms ownership? "I just don't think we can get that done." He has supported licensing all handgun owners, though, and in 2004 Obama backed national legislation forbidding anyone but law-enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms, even with a license.

One has to wonder if Obama's internal polls in swing states show the the NRA ads are having the intended effect.

Hat tip to the Campaign Spot.

NRA Ads Hit Obama

The NRA is now running ads in battleground states on cable television stations CMT, CNN, DISC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESX, FXNC, GOLFm HIST, MIL, NFL, Outdoor Channel, Speed, Spike, TBS, TNT, TWC, and Versus that target hunters and veterans. Both ads point out that Obama is no friend of sportsmen and outdoorsmen. The first ad, titled Hunter, features a Virginian Karl Rusch.



The second ad titled Veteran features Rusch's son, former Marine Staff Sgt. Kurt Rusch, who served in Iraq. The younger Rusch takes Obama to task for a position he took as an Illinois State Senator in 2004 to a bill that offered legal protections to those who use firearms in self-defense.

Is Obama a Perfect Match

Cute interactive Q & A for gun owners to see if Obama agrees with you - courtesy of the NRA Political Victory Fund.



Hat tip to Sebastian

Does Obama Really Respect The Second Amendment?

Or is he just waiting until he has the votes in congress before doing what he would really like to do with respect to guns? Listen closely to his answer to a question he took at a Duryea, PA, glass factory. After using the same tired code words of "gun safety" to describe ending private sales at gun shows, shutting down gun dealers as he proposed in 2000 and taking a swipe at the NRA, he lets slip what is the only thing that would keep a President Obama from doing what his record clearly shows he would like to do if he could.

Obama Rolls Out "Sportsmen for Obama"

That's right - in Minnesota earlier this week Obama's campaign rolled out a sportsmen network, with a pledge to protect hunters' gun rights, expand and restore habitat for hunting and fishing, and enhance programs that teach youth about outdoors activities.

Obama's campaign is working to repel the NRA push to inform gun owners that Obama is an enemy of the Second Amendment that includes reminding gun owners of the candidate's inartful statement during the primaries about the tendency of small-town Americans to "cling to guns or religion."

Included in Obama's effort are radio ads that Obama is running in several key states, including Virginia, that feature Ray Schoenke, President of the astro-turf gun group American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). As mentioned in a post yesterday, Schoenke tells listeners that "Barack Obama and John McCain will both make sure we can keep our guns."

Apparently not all gun owners and hunters know Obama's record when it comes to firearms and ammunition. According to an article on Townhall.com, during the roll out of the Obama sportsmen group, a Minnesota hunter said "Tell me where Senator Obama says `I want stricter controls on who can hunt and when' or 'I want to ban shotguns and rifles,'" said Jarve, a member of Obama's Minnesota sportsmen chapter. "Where has he said that? He hasn't."

Well, lets see, Obama voted to:

• allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry to continue;
• voted for an Illinois State Senate bill to ban and confiscate “assault weapons,” but the bill was so poorly crafted, it would have also banned most semi-auto and single and double barrel shotguns commonly used by sportsmen;
• voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting;
• endorsed a 500% increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition;
• supported a proposal to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America;

All of the above would affect the ability of hunters to participate in their sport either directly or indirectly. So, while he may not have come right out and said so, Obama has either proposed or voted for measures that would restrict the availability of firearms and/or ammunition for hunting and sport shooting.

Never mind the fact that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting.

AHSA's Schoenke Shilling for Obama

Well, I figured the astro-turf gun group American Hunters and Shooters Association would be supporting Obama in the general election since they went all out for him in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary earlier this year. I was in Dallas earlier this week and when I spoke with my wife on the phone Tuesday night, she told me she heard "some football player" talking about guns on an Obama commercial on the local conservative talk radio station (WRVA) in Richmond. The "some football player" is none other than former Redskin player Ray Schoenke. Sure enough, Sebastian over at Snowflakes in Hell had posted on the subject earlier in the day via Ahab.

In the ad, Schoenke says:

"This is Ray Schoenke. I played football with the Washington Redskins. Now I’m president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association. It’s important to me that our next president protects our Second Amendment rights to own guns, and to defend ourselves. Barack Obama and John McCain will both make sure we keep our guns."

I guess Schoenke did not hear Obama say in Pennsylvania that he opposes our right to self defense because he opposes concealed carry. But, this ad is not as much about trying to persuade gun owners that Obama is no threat to gun owners as it is to try and get gun owners to vote for Obama based on other issues (i.e. put us at ease that Obama will not restrict our gun rights so it's okay to think about other issues likes the economy). Schoenke launches an attack on McCain reading straight from Obama's talking points.

The fact is Obama has no interest in protecting our gun rights anymore than Schoenke gives a rats rear end about the rights of hunters and shooters. His group is a front for the Democrats. It was organized and funded by people (including Schoenke) who have a long history of supporting anti-rights groups like the Brady Campaign. Schoenke recently wrote over on the Huffington Post that his is a "typical American family on guns." For those not familiar with it, the Huffington Post is where the loony left meets to spread disinformation on guns and other topics of interest to liberals.

Anyway, Schoenke writes:

"My wife doesn't hunt. She doesn't even like guns. But, she does appreciate my love for hunting and guns - and we share a deep commitment to preserving our
environment. And, I accept that she was a financial supporter of the Brady Campaign. And, I also support her and respect her opinions. On guns, we're like James Carville and Mary Matalin - happily married, on different sides, but still respectful of each others' views. "

What Schoenke does not tell you is that if you go to Opensecrets.org and do a search on Ray Schoenke, you will find that he has given to the Brady Campaign too. In fact, not only has he given to the Brady Campaign but to almost every big name anti-gun candidate and congress critter - including Barbara Boxer, John Kerry, Bob Torricelli, Teddy Kennedy, and Bill Clinton. Do a search on all of the people associated with AHSA and you will find they are a who's who when it comes to gun control.

So, tell your pro-gun friends, if they hear Schoenke on their radio station talking about a "fake to hide the ball," that it's Schoenke and Obama doing the fake - faking support for your gun rights to hide Obama's real record on guns.

Listen to Ray Schoenke Shilling for Obama here.

Hat tip to Sebastian, Ahab, and Cam Edwards.

Voter Registration Deadline Approaching Fast

Today is September 4 which means gun owners who want to vote in this year's election but are not yet registered to vote (maybe because you have moved in the past year or for other reasons) have only a little over a month left to register. The deadline for voter registration in Virginia is 29 days prior to the Election, which is October 6.

As I have said previously, this election is critical for gun owners and hunters. There are major differences in the positions held by the candidates in the Presidential race.

For example, Senator John McCain stood up against frivilous lawsuits that attempted to blame gun manufacters and gun dealers for the criminal acts of third parties. Senator Obama, by contrast, voted to let antigun politicians like New York City Mayor Bloomberg file ridiculous lawsuits against the industry. Those lawsuits threatened to bankrupt this firearms industry – and deprive hunters and shooters of our Second Amendment rights.

Consider this and you will see just how important it is that gun owners and hunters get involved now: So far in this presidential election, there has been a two-to-one turnout difference between voters supporting anti-gun candidates, versus voters supporting pro-gun candidates. Hunters and shooters are on the wrong side of two-to-one odds.

Regardless of the Heller decision earlier this summer, the threat to our rights hasn't receded. Here in Virginia anti-gunners in county after county are working to restrict your rights. Elections matter. And it's not just a question of who is sitting in the Oval Office. There are also 35 U.S. Senate races this year, and 435 races for the U.S. House of Representatives. Plus there are thousands of races at the state and local level. The balance of power is up for grabs across the country.

Why let someone else decide who's going to make the rules? Virginia gun owners can click here and register to vote. If you are reading this blog and you don't live in Virginia, click here then click on your state, and fill out the simple form. Print it out, sign it, fold, tape and stamp it. Then drop it in the mail. It will take five minutes. Ask your friends, family and fellow gun owners and hunters to do the same. You can't vote if you aren't registered.

Don't Risk Your Rights. Register to Vote Today.

The 2nd Amendment - In the Candidates' Own Words

Here for youself what the Presidential Candidates have to say on the 2nd Amendment.



Obama takes two different stances on the issue within four months.

McCain Picks Alaska Governor Palin as VP

While Obama went for an equally anti-gun VP choice in Joe Biden, McCain went for the strongly pro-gun Sarah Palin as his running mate. The pick stunned many observers who thought McCain might go with Romney or Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. This is a "wow" pick that will surely energize conservatives and will likely reach out to disgruntled Hillary supporters who saw sexism in the way she was treated by the Obama forces. In the coming days you will read more about Governor Palin's record on 2nd Amendment and issues of interest to sportsmen.

More Virginians Applying for Concealed Handgun Permits

Virginia residents continue to file into circuit courts throughout the state at a record pace this year, according to statistics from more than 50 jurisdictions analyzed by the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record. According to the News-Record, in 2007, the number of concealed-weapon permits issued jumped roughly 60 percent from the previous year in Virginia. Numbers for the first six months of 2008, show that most jurisdictions are on pace to surpass those numbers.

My home county of Chesterfield, as well as Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties are all on pace to break records, according to local statistics. Fairfax County, a locality that has some very anti-gun elected officials (Ken Cuccinelli being the exception), 1,501 have been issued in the first six months of 2008; last year, 2,201 were issued; and, in 2006, 1,449.

Texas and other states have seen similar increases. While no one can say with certainly what is driving the increase, it is very possible that people have finally figured out that the job of the police is not to protect individuals; the job of self defense is the responsibility of the individual. High profile mass killings probably have also played a role in the increase. Finally, the uncertainty of this political year may also be playing a role in the uptick in applications. Vigilant gun owners know that the Supreme Court decision in D.C. vs Heller was razor thin. The next president may appoint as many as three new justices so it is critical that a pro-rights candidate win this year. The ticket of Barrack Obama and Joe Biden are no friends of gun owners and we must do all we can to see that they do not march into the White House on January 20, 2009.

The Obama campaign spokesman in Virginia is disputing that politics has anything to do with the increase in permit applications. Kevin Griffis, the Virginia communications director for the Obama campaign, told the News Record that there is no correlation between the increase in concealed-weapons permits and the presidential election, saying it’s “a Republican talking point.”

Griffs continued by calling the claim that Obama is anti-gun a “systematic smear effort by the NRA” and called the NRA “an arm of the Republican Party.” Citing the fact that 2007 was not a presidential election year, he said the NRA saying that Obama is anti-gun is ”just as absurd as the e-mails going around suggesting Barack is not Christian” and called the NRA claims in the advertisement false..

You can hear me discuss this article on NRANews' Daily News with Ginny Simone at 5:00PM today. The interview will likely replay on Cam and Company tonight around 9:40PM.

Vacation's Over - Back to Work

After a week of vacation with the family it is time to get back to work to insure that Barrack Obama is not elected the 44th President of the United States. Several hours after returning home, Obama picked Delaware Senator Joseph Biden to be his running mate. Biden is as anti-gun as Obama. He admits to being the first to write an "Assault Weapons" ban.



One has to wonder what Obama's thought processes are. Most of yesterday was devoted to a little known Texas Democratic Congressman named Chet Edwards as a possible running mate for Obama. National Review's Campaign Spot did an excellent job of describing why this would have been a possibly disastrous choice for Obama.

But in the end, he picks Biden, someone who gives Obama "gravitas" on the foreign policy side of the coin but as the McCain campaign was quick to point out, said Obama was not ready to be president.



Look for more on Biden's anti-gun record in the coming days.

Obama's America

My friend Cam Edwards (host of Cam & Company on NRANews.com) sometimes sits in for Mike Church on Sirius Patriot 144. The last time he sat in, Cam followed Church's tradition of doing a parody song. He came up with "Obama's America." Well, one of the listeners to Cam & Company has come up with a video to go along with it. For your enjoyment, I have embedded it below.

Congressional Sportsmen Foundation Poll Gives McCain Edge

The Politico reported yesterday that Barrack Obama is trailing John McCain among sportsmen but a surprising number say they’ll vote for him – far more than backed Al Gore or goose hunting John Kerry. According to a Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) poll to be released today, McCain leads Obama by a 45 to 31 percent. That’s only about half the 27-point edge respondents say they gave George W. Bush over Kerry four years ago and far short of the 65-to-15 percent margin gun owners gave to Bush over Gore in 2000. CSF polled 1,009 hunters and fishermen, between July 10 and July 24. The results could be a reflection of McCain’s up-and-down relationship with gun advocates and also suggests the he has not yet persuaded a core Republican constituency.

CSF Communication's Director Melinda Gable said, “I don’t think John McCain has really made his case to hunters and anglers. Things were very different in 2004. Everybody knew that George W. Bush was from Texas, he was a rancher and that he went hunting. We haven’t seen that from McCain yet—there’s the unknown—he really needs to come out as a sportsman. Neither candidate has talked a lot about the issues that are important to us.”

As I have written here on several occasions, McCain has a mostly pro-gun record in the Senate, opposing the Clinton Gun ban on certain semi-automatic firearms (misnamed assault weapons) and he supported the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. However, he’s not an avid hunter (but that should be a little concern because only the media and the gun ban lobby believe the Second Amendment is not about hunting) and has battled the National Rifle Association over his support for background checks on private sale of firearms at gun shows and his crusade for campaign finance reform.

McCain has tried to soothe the bad feelings at each of his appearances before NRA members in the past year (at the Annual Meeting in Louisville in May of this year and at the Celebration of American Values in September of '07) by portraying the Democrats as a common enemy. In May, he told those attending the Annual Meeting, “They claim to support hunters and gun owners. If… Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk.”

The survey showed that hunters have no great affection for Obama. Obama's long history of favoring more restrictive gun control laws as a state legislator is likely to blame. The poll showed that about half of those polled say they like McCain and would love to go on a hunt with him – compared to 29 percent who feel the same way about Obama. National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) President Steve Sanetti told the Politico that “Sportsmen view John McCain as good company in the great outdoors. They’re just not sure how much fun Barack Obama would be in a duck blind.”Fishermen are a little more Obama friendly, but favor the Arizona senator by a 44-to-31 margin.

For those not familiar with CSF, the group advocates gun rights and expanded access to federal land for hunters in congress and is bipartisan. A number of congressmen and senator's are members of the foundations' Congressional Sportmen's Caucus (including Virginia's Sen. John Warner, Rep. Rick Boucher, Rep. Eric Cantor, Rep. Thelma Drake, Rep. Virgil Goode, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Rep. Rob Wittman, and Rep. Frank Wolf).