What the Real Focus Needs to Be This Year to Legalize/Help Poker

[TheEngineer]

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Because the ONLY way we are going to get something passed is via the same route the IUGEA passed, i.e. by being attached to must pass legislation in conference committee.

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First of all, it's called UIGEA. Secondly, UIGEA passed the House as HR 4411 by a vote of 317-93 as a free standing bill, after gaining 35 cosponsors and gaining a majority House committee vote. It had plenty of support in the Senate, as well as the full support of the Senate Republican leadership. That's how it got added to the SAFE Ports Act. Seems you hope a few Democrats will get together in a smoke filled backroom somewhere and say "hey, you know that bill we can't get through committee?...yeah, the one that repeals last year's action that passed overwhelmingly...let's sneak it onto must-pass legislation for fun". Sorry, but I don't see it happening that way. IF we do our part to show the public wants it, we have a chance of getting fast-tracked because of pay-go (perhaps we'll finance must-pass legislation...I think that's likely, actually), but we still have to do our part to show our resolve. Pay-go may help us get into the Senate, but the idea that we should quit the House fight half-way through and start worrying about the next fight seems foreign to me.

Everyone: please continue our advocacy efforts. Barney Frank says he needs 50 cosponsors. I'm guessing he knows what he's doing, so let's work on that, per the IGREA now has 31 cosponsors thread. We have a lot of work to do still. Thanks.