From RSOL of VirginiaRe: International Megan's Law Moves Forward in US House.
If you try to e-mail the sponsor of HR1623, Chris Smith (NJ), and are not a constituent of his, you will be unable to do so on his website. Most Congress and Senate members design their web sites to prevent anyone outside their districts from contacting them. Therefore, we must begin on another letter-writing effort. An associate has gathered all the e-mail addresses of the U.S. Judiciary members below. A list of all the co-sponsors of HR1623 can be found here, below , and at the image to the right (click to enlarge).
Call and Write to:
Sponsor:
Chris Smith (NJ)Washington, DC Office,2373 Rayburn House Office Building,Washington, D.C. 20515,p 202-225-3765,f 202-225-7768
Co-sponsors:
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 405 Cannon HOB,Washington, D.C. 20515,Phone: (202) 225-5965,Fax: (202) 225-3119
Rep Bilbray, Brian P. [CA-50] - 2348 Rayburn HOB,Washington, D.C. 20515,Phone: (202) 225-0508,Fax: (202) 225-2558
Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] - 1124 Longworth HOB,Washington, DC 20515,ph: 202-225-5755,
fx: 202-225-4085
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 1519 Longworth HOB,Washington, DC 20515,Phone: (202) 225-4301,Fax: (202) 225-5713
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 2308 Rayburn House Office Building,Washington, DC 20515-0001, (202) 225-2276
Rep Crenshaw, Ander [FL-4] - 440 Cannon House Office Building,Washington, DC 20515,Main:202-225-2501,Fax: 202-225-2504
Rep Davis, Lincoln [TN-4] - 410 Cannon House Office Building,Washington, D.C. 20515, Phone: 202.225.6831 Fax: 202.226.5172
Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] - 1535 Longworth HOB,Washington, D.C. 20515,Phone: (202) 225-4806,Fax: (202) 225-5686
Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] - 320 CANNON HOB,WASHINGTON, DC 20515,PH. 202-225-5071,FAX 202-225-5683
Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 1217 Longworth House Office Bldg • Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-5441 • Fax: (202) 225-3289
Rep Inglis, Bob [SC-4] - 100 Cannon House Office Building,Washington, DC 20515,Phone: (202) 225-6030,Fax: (202) 226-1177
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 2107 Rayburn House Office Building - Washington, DC 20515 - Ph: 202-225-3611 - Fax: 202-225-6393
Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] - 339 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-7896 Fax: 202-226-2279
Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] - 2371 Rayburn House Office Building,Washington, D.C. 20515,(202) 225-5731 phone,(202) 225-3307 fax
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] - 2262 Rayburn HOB • Washington DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-5716 • Fax: (202) 226-1298
Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [IL-16] - 2228 Rayburn Blding Washington, DC 20515 ph: (202) 225-5676 fax: (202) 225-5284
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] - 227 Cannon HOB,Washington, DC 20515,202.225.6605, Fax:202.225.0074
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 1632 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515, 202-225-8171
Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] - 116 Cannon HOB,Washington, D.C. 20515,Phone: (202) 225-4215,
Fax: (202) 225-4218
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] - 2464 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5751 | Fax: (202) 225-5782
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 2310 Rayburn House Office Building · Washington, District of Columbia 20515,Phone: (202)-225-3436,Fax:(202)-225-4160
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] - 430 Cannon Building,Washington, D.C. 20515,(202) 225-6565,(202) 225-5547 fax,(866) 425-6565 toll free
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 2470 Rayburn H.O.B.,Washington, DC 20515-0918
Telephone: 202-225-3931,Fax: 202-225-5620
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 2183 Rayburn House Office Building,Washington, D.C. 20515, (202) 225-3761,Fax: (202) 225-4986
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 212 Cannon House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-2452 • Fax: (202) 225-2455
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] - Washington Office,241 Cannon Building,Washington, DC 20515,(202) 225-5136,(202) 225-0437 fax
I know it takes time to print, address and stamp all those envelopes in addition to the cost, but if we really want to stop this bill everyone should do it. If you don't take the initiative to write or call those who will be voting on this bill, then you can't complain if it passes an is enacted.
Also, here is a copy of her letter if you want to use it for ideas as you write your own letter :
"Dear U.S. Congressman/woman __________,
The International Megan’s Law, Bill HR1623 was introduced on March 19, 2009 by New Jersey Congressman Christopher Smith and previously submitted by him in 2008 as HR5722. HR1623 may be coming up for a vote in the next few weeks.
Unfortunately, HR1623 has not been discussed by the U.S. Judiciary Committee as we had hoped it would be.
HR1623 would require any U.S. Citizen who happens to also be a registered sex-offender to seek permission and approval for any travel outside the U.S. That’s more than 700,000 Americans today it will be more than 760,000 Americans in 2011 and more than 820,000 Americans in 2012.
This proposed bill is a violation of American's constitutional rights.
It’s also a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution as it would be retroactive, without regard to how long ago the conviction was or if the person poses any credible threat to anyone.
Ex post facto (or retroactive) laws are expressly forbidden by the United States Constitution. The U.S Constitution applies to all American citizens regardless of any crime they may have committed in the past.
The current Megan’s Law and Adam Walsh Law have already brought ruin to the lives of hundreds of thousands of American citizens, as well as to their families. The hysteria that politicians have created by telling Americans “we want to protect your children” - then passing these laws and mandating states to create sex-offender registries where vigilantes can map to the register’s front door or contact their employer to harass the employer to release the registered person - is a blatant violation of their civil liberties and right to privacy.
Do you know what qualifies someone as a sex-offender today?
Multiple crimes of varying degrees are now “Registerable” offenses. The plain and undeniable truth is there are even innocents listed on the State Registries. This is where the Sex Offender Registry has taken a strange and unjustifiable deviation from any attempt at reducing crime. There is a huge difference between stealing a newspaper and robbing a bank, both crimes are considered theft but both are separated by law and society; thus the penalties are proportionately different from one another. This is right and this is justice. The current laws that stigmatize someone as a “Sex Offender” in the United States DO NOT distinguish between the high-risk and low-risk offender. All are considered as the same once listed, all those on the Sex Offender Registries are assumed to be a “pervert”, a “pedophile” and a “predator”.
The sex-offender registries are not protecting anyone. They are a means to humiliate, degrade, re-prosecute and destroy the lives of thousands of innocent citizens. These registries are a way for politicians to look like heroes to concerned parents. You have created a modern day witch hunt which is wasting millions of tax-payers dollars. The U.S. Registries have become a useless list of names that the public can no longer use to decipher who is a true threat and who has simply been swept up in this legislative predator hysteria. Dilution of the registry is not the solution.
Now you want to force ALL registered sex-offenders to ask for permission to vacation, to visit family or to attend business functions. What positive public purpose does that serve? The answer is none.
The RSOL of Virginia clearly and defiantly opposes child trafficking. The Legislative assumption that anyone placed on the registries is likely to commit such a heinous crime is simply outrageous. Imposing this law onto U.S citizens who carry the label of sex offender is simply wrong and you know it.
You can stop spreading fear and loathing across our country and now across the oceans.
Tell Congressman Smith and all 23 co-sponsors of HR1623 why this bill should not be passed as it does nothing to protect America ."
