Michael Mathes -
Shedding support and beset by infighting, the National Rifle Association faces a test of strength after recent twin mass shootings, but few believe it is prepared to loosen its grip on Congress or Donald Trump’s administration.
Following the tragedies in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, the president urged Democrats and Republicans to “come together” and enact stricter background checks.
But hours later, rather than proclaim in a White House address that he wants Congress to tackle the gun violence epidemic by imposing tougher restrictions on firearms sales, Trump repeated what many Democrats believe is an old trope propagated by the NRA.
“Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun,” Trump said, in phrasing that echoed a talking point repeatedly used by the NRA and gun rights advocates who say that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Democrats have long demanded action on background checks, but Republicans — and the NRA — have steadfastly resisted.
Trump’s televised remarks made no mention of his earlier call.
“When he can’t talk about guns when he talks about gun violence, it shows the president remains prisoner to the gun lobby and the NRA,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The NRA has been among the most powerful lobbying groups in US history, and despite a series of high-profile crises in recent months, still wields tremendous clout on Capitol Hill.
It spent $1.6 million in the first half of 2019 lobbying members of Congress against legislation that would expand background on people seeking to purchase guns, CNBC reported, citing disclosure reports.
The group also endorsed Trump’s campaign in 2016 and spent some $30 million in support of his election, according to funding trackers.
But it has faced recent trials, including the ouster of its president Oliver North over a conflict about lavish NRA spending, and the resignation last week of three board members.
NRA finances are in turmoil. Contributions to the group sank more than $26 million, or 21 per cent, from 2016 to 2017, NRA figures show.
It ran a deficit of $31.8 million in the 2017 reporting cycle, after racking up a $14.8-million deficit the prior year when it spent big backing Trump, according to an audit obtained by OpenSecrets.
“If the NRA ever had a weak point, it’s right now,” moderate Republican congressman Pete King told The Hill
newspaper on Monday.
“They are weakened. And all of us, including the president, should take advantage of that.” Some Republicans are inching towards advocating reforms. — AFP
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