Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Family Research Council urges: OPPOSE HR 2267

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed in 2006 to prohibit online gambling. Frank's efforts blocked implementation for a time, but the bill went into effect in June. Now Frank is sponsoring HR 2267 the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act to undo the law. And Rep. James McDermott (D-Wash.) wants to tax internet gambling. He says his Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act will raise $40 billion in new taxes. Two problems: 1) the terrible damage gambling does to individuals and families and 2) taxing internet gambling will lead to more internet taxes. The power to tax is the power to control and destroy.
Family Research Council

HR 2267 STATUS:
The House financial committee will mark up a bill Tuesday (7.27.10) to legalize Internet gambling. Even many in the US industry oppose it. It is largely foreign gaming websites that are behind this attempt to overturn the 2006 ban.
The measure is being rushed through the House Financial Services Committee
If foreign online gambling interests can easily influence passage of this bill, imagine what it might do to eventually water down regulations over their industry.

Once the mark up is complete, the bill will then move towards a vote in the House.

HR 2267 SUPPORTERS:
foreign companies are spending tens of millions to influence the eventual design of online gambling in the US. $5.23 million to lobbyists.

Poker Players Alliance is planning to spend $3 million lobbying Congress to carve a loophole — just for poker — in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed by Congress in 2006.

The Internet Gaming Council Spent Over $2.0 Mil Lobbying for Online Gambling

• The American Gaming Association spent nearly $430,000 in the first quarter lobbying federal officials about online gambling regulation.

• This foreign lobby and its domestic supporters want Congress to gloss over the negative effects of allowing gambling on every smart phone and laptop, where even a 10-year-old with a parent’s credit card might be able to wage bets at any time of day.


HR 2267 WILL DEVASTATE FAMILIES:
PROBLEM GAMBLING is ten times more common among those who gamble online than among those who only gamble offline.
2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey
The most recent study on college gambling in Connecticut in 2004 surveyed all four Connecticut State University campuses, and found 11.4 percent of students were either pathological or problem gamblers.
Recent research shows gambling is becoming a college pastime for young men . . . easy wagering opportunities on the Internet.
Nine year old attempts suicide after losing $10,000 on the internet using his mother's credit card.
But as former federal prosecutor Michael Fagan told the House panel marking up the bill: “Any parent who’s puzzled or despaired over their child’s trancelike playing of video games during the past 20 years can readily see why Internet gambling operators are drooling over the chance to legally expand their market base into the United States.”
A Carlisle woman who worked as a local politician before developing an addiction to online gambling was jailed today for stealing almost £40,000 to pay her debts. She t
ried to kill herself.
“Online gambling is called the crack cocaine of creating new addicted gamblers. It places gambling at every school desk, every work desk and in every living room." Prof. John Kindt, University of Illinois


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Internet Gambling, NATIONAL CRISIS

HR 2267 SUMMARY:

HR 2267 FULL TEXT:

Urgent: Please make phone calls and send e-mails urging your U.S. Representatives to oppose
HR 2267. Forward this e-mail and ask family and friends to do the same.

COSPONSORS OF HR 2267 - PLEASE NOTE THE REPUBLICANS
Gregorio Sablan [D-MP]
Neil Abercrombie [D-HI1]
Gary Ackerman [D-NY5]
John Adler [D-NJ3]
Robert Andrews [D-NJ1]
Shelley Berkley [D-NV1]
Timothy Bishop [D-NY1]
Earl Blumenauer [D-OR3]
Michael Capuano [D-MA8]
Russ Carnahan [D-MO3]
André Carson [D-IN7]
William Clay [D-MO1]
Steve Cohen [D-TN9]
John Conyers [D-MI14]
Joe Courtney [D-CT2]
Joseph Crowley [D-NY7]
William Delahunt [D-MA10]
Steve Driehaus [D-OH1]
Eliot Engel [D-NY17]
Bob Filner [D-CA51]
Bill Foster [D-IL14]
Raul Grijalva [D-AZ7]
Luis Gutiérrez [D-IL4]
Alcee Hastings [D-FL23]
Paul Hodes [D-NH2]
Michael Honda [D-CA15]
Steve Israel [D-NY2]
Peter King [R-NY3]
John Larson [D-CT1]
Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ2]
Daniel Maffei [D-NY25]
Betsy Markey [D-CO4]
Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY4]
James McDermott [D-WA7]
James McGovern [D-MA3]
Michael McMahon [D-NY13]
Charles Melancon [D-LA3]
George Miller [D-CA7]
Walter Minnick [D-ID1]
James Moran [D-VA8]
Christopher Murphy [D-CT5]
Jerrold Nadler [D-NY8]
William Owens [D-NY23]
William Pascrell [D-NJ8]
Ronald Paul [R-TX14]
Ed Perlmutter [D-CO7]
Thomas Perriello [D-VA5]
Jared Polis [D-CO2]
Charles Rangel [D-NY15]
Ciro Rodriguez [D-TX23]
Steven Rothman [D-NJ9]
Timothy Ryan [D-OH17]
Linda Sánchez [D-CA39]
Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Robert Scott [D-VA3]
Adam Smith [D-WA9]
Bennie Thompson [D-MS2]
Michael Thompson [D-CA1]
Dina Titus [D-NV3]
Paul Tonko [D-NY21]
Edolphus Towns [D-NY10]
Melvin Watt [D-NC12]
Anthony Weiner [D-NY9]
Peter Welch [D-VT]
Robert Wexler [D-FL19]
Charles Wilson [D-OH6]
Lynn Woolsey [D-CA6]
Donald Young [R-AK]