Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, a long-time advocate of prohibiting online gambling in the United States, has broken 10 months of relative silence in the U.S. House of Representatives on the issue with a letter urging his colleagues to take action.
The letter, addressed to members of Congress and signed only by Leach, points out the social risks of online gambling as well as what Leach terms a "national security concern." He specifically refers to stated concerns form the Department of State, including "criminal activities ranging from terrorist financing to tax evasion."
The most recent online gambling-related action in the House came in June 2003 with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act introduced by Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala. The ball has been in Senate's court since then, specifically in the hands of Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who was unable to get his version passed in the Senate during the 108th Congress, which ran through 2004. Kyl has drafted at least two versions of the bill since the 109th Congress commenced in January 2005, although neither has been formally introduced. His latest campaign was a failed attempt to have the bill attached to an appropriations measure in September.
The measure's supporters in the House have been relatively silent on the matter since the passage of the Bachus bill. Bachus, Leach and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, submitted a letter to the Christian Science Monitor in January 2005. The same enthusiasm did not appear to be matched in the Senate, however, as evidenced by its absence on the dockets.
The second session of the 109th Congress begins in January, at which time Kyl is expected to make another push.
Click here to view a copy of the Leach letter.