Thomas A.

Schatz
President
December 1, 2014
The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable John Boehner

Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Majority Leader Reid, Senator McConnell, Speaker Boehner, and Representative Pelosi,
On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens
Against Government Waste, I am writing to urge you to reject any consideration of S. 2159, the
Restoration of Americas Wire Act (RAWA) or its companion House bill, H.R. 4301 during the lameduck session of Congress.
The Wire Act was enacted in 1961 to constrain interstate or foreign commerce relating to bets or
wagers on sporting events over the telephone. Subsequent court cases and Department of Justice
enforcement of the Wire Act have limited its coverage to only sports betting. The misleadingly-named
RAWA would therefore amend, not restore, the Wire Act, since it would expand its coverage to all forms
of gambling or betting, including Internet gambling.
The Senate bill has four co-sponsors and the House bill has 18 co-sponsors; neither has been the
subject of any hearings. It is our understanding that pressure to consider this legislation is restricted to
either a single company or individual, or a few companies or individuals. There is neither widespread
support for the RAWA nor any urgent need to consider it arbitrarily before the end of this Congress.
There are also significant 10th Amendment issues associated with the RAWA. Regardless of ones views
on gambling and/or Internet gambling, these matters should be considered under regular order.
I urge you to oppose any consideration of the RAWA during this lame-duck session, especially as
an amendment to the fiscal year 2015 continuing resolution.
Sincerely,

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Suite 1075
Washington, D.C. 20004
202-467-5300