The Restoration of the Wire Act Vote Appears Like It Might Cut across Party Lines
Libertarian groups are joining the fight against the Restoration of the Wire Act, a bipartisan bill introduced to the US Congress in March 2014 by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jason Chaffetz. A coalition of conservative and libertarian groups sent a letter to select members of the US Congress, expressing their concern and displeasure that the anti-gambling bill was introduced.
Having such groups put their political influence behind online gambling is important. In many ways, their support is more pivotal than the traditional online gambling advocates, because of their conservative and libertarian principles.
Who Are These Libertarians?
The groups tend to support issues such as lower taxes, the freedom to own guns, and opposition to the healthcare reform known as Obamacare. Largely, they inhabit the same political party as the people Sheldon Adelson supports: The Republicans.
While Restoration of the Wire Act has bipartisan support, 75% of the politicians who signed their name to the bill were Republicans. The main figure associated with the bill in each house, Senator Lindsey Graham and Representative Jason Chaffetz, are both Republicans.
Sheldon Adelson – GOP Donor
The man known to bankroll the crusade to ban online gambling throughout the United States, Sheldon Adelson, is one of the Republican Party’s chief donors. In 2012, Sheldon Adelson gave $90 million to GOP candidates and causes, hoping to defeat Barack Obama’s reelection bid.
That plan failed, but Sheldon Adelson will have more money in 2016 than he did in 2012, and he plans to use it to push the GOP further to the right on several issues. The CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corps. is now the 8th richest man in the world, thanks to all the gambling revenues the Sands Macau makes off of Chinese high rollers. The gaming CEO says he will spend whatever is necessary to see online gambling banned throughout the USA.
Republican Versus Republican
The libertarian wing of the Republican Party is therefore at odds with the religious right, who tend to look at gambling issues through the moral lens. The stated reason Sheldon Adelson wants to ban online gambling is to stop the spread of problem gambling, which he believes is far worse on the Internet than in his land-based casinos.
The support of the libertarians means the conventional Republican voting bloc will be split when it comes time to vote on Restoration of the Wire Act. Online gambling is in many ways an oddball issue in Washington D.C., because the Democrats are likely to split over the issue, too. Because Democrats tend to shy away from laws with moral motivations, this could mean the bill could not muster the votes for passage into law.
Open Letter to U.S. Lawmakers
The various libertarian groups sent a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representative Bob Goodlatte, and Representative John Conyers. The letter pointed out to the congressmen that “by banning a select form of Internet commerce, the federal government is setting a troubling precedent and providing fodder to those who would like to see increased Internet regulation in the future.”
A number of the different libertarian groups which signed the letters to Leahy, Grassley, Goodlatte, and Conyers included The R Street Institute, the Independent Women’s Forum, the Taxpayer Protection Alliance, the American Consumer Institute, Freedom Action, the Institute for Policy Innovation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, FreedomWorks, the Institute for Liberty, and Alliance for Freedom.
Influential Conservative Voices
R Street Institute include political figures such as pundit David Frum and former U.S. Senator Bob Bennett. The Independent Women’s Forum includes several influential GOP women and their allies: Heather Higgins, Larry Kudlow, Lynne Cheney, Kate O’Beirne, Midge Decter, and Wendy Lee Graham.
Taxpayer Protection Alliance’s 990 IRS form states it has a connection to Barry Bennett of the Alliance for America’s Future, a conservative nonprofit which includes Mary Cheney and Kara Ahern. The Alliance for America’s Future is itself affiliated with American Crossroads, a Karl Rove ally, and Americans for Job Seccurity, which is funded by the Koch Brothers
What Is a Libertarian?
A libertarian believes in limited government. The traditional libertarian believes that the government should concern itself with national defense, but few social services.
Throughout history, some libertarians have been identified with extreme opposition to national government. For instance, in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930’s, the Libertarian Party of Spain was referred to their more traditional designation (“anarchists”), who fought against the right-wing Falangist (Fascist) forces of General Franco.
In 21st century America, the terms tends to mean people who prefer a limited central or federal government, with more power given to state and local authorities. Libertarians believe most substance abuse and moral laws should be repealed, and people should take responsibility for their own actions. Because this would imply fewer government employees, taxes would be lower–much lower. The Tea Party is one example of a modern libertarian-influenced movement.
