The day ends with the NRA issuing a “key vote” threat on Manchin-Toomey. After all that. The wording is credited to Chris Cox, the NRA’s executive director of legislative action, a rare media presence. <\/p>\n
\n We hope the Senate will replace the current provisions of S. 649 with language that is properly focused on addressing mental health inadequacies; prosecuting violent criminals; and keeping our kids safe in their schools. Should it fail to do so, the NRA will make an exception to our standard policy of not \u00e2\u20ac\u0153scoring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d procedural votes and strongly oppose a cloture motion to move to final passage of S. 649.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And so we have a test, at 11 am, of whether Republicans and red state Democrats are willing to buck a fringey NRA position even though it’ll knock their ratings down by, at most, a letter grade.<\/p>\n
The whole letter:<\/p>\n
Dear Senator,<\/p>\n
I am writing regarding the National Rifle Association\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s position on several firearms-related proposals under consideration in the Senate.<\/p>\n
S. 649, the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, introduced on March 21, contains a number of provisions that would unfairly infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.\u00c2\u00a0 This legislation would criminalize the private transfer of firearms by honest citizens, requiring friends, neighbors and many family members to get government permission to exercise a fundamental right or face prosecution. The NRA is unequivocally opposed to S. 649.<\/p>\n
In addition, the NRA will oppose any amendments offered to S. 649 that restrict fundamental Second Amendment freedoms; including, but not limited to, proposals that would ban commonly and lawfully owned firearms and magazines or criminalize the private transfer of firearms through an expansion of background checks.\u00c2\u00a0 This includes the misguided \u00e2\u20ac\u0153compromise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d proposal drafted by Senators Joe Manchin, Pat Toomey and Chuck Schumer.\u00c2\u00a0 As we have noted previously, expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools. \u00c2\u00a0Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future candidate evaluations.<\/p>\n
Rather than focus its efforts on restricting the rights of America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 100 million law-abiding gun owners, there are things Congress can do to fix our broken mental health system; increase prosecutions of violent criminals; and make our schools safer.\u00c2\u00a0 During consideration of S. 649, should one or more amendments be offered that adequately address these important issues while protecting the fundamental rights of law-abiding gun owners, the NRA will offer our enthusiastic support and consider those votes in our future candidate evaluations as well.<\/p>\n
We hope the Senate will replace the current provisions of S. 649 with language that is properly focused on addressing mental health inadequacies; prosecuting violent criminals; and keeping our kids safe in their schools.\u00c2\u00a0 Should it fail to do so, the NRA will make an exception to our standard policy of not \u00e2\u20ac\u0153scoring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d procedural votes and strongly oppose a cloture motion to move to final passage of S. 649.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n