A trade organization representing the American firearms industry has released a scorecard on Congressional support for gun-related civil rights ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, or NSSF, bills itself as an advocate for all things Second Amendment. The organization seeks to bring attention to everything from concealed carry reciprocity to hunting. All of these issues are touched in on the scorecard, which grades each member of Congress based on their voting record.
“The National Shooting Sports Foundation is following a practice similar to that of other trade associations that report on how candidates voted on issues impacting their ability to conduct the lawful commerce in arms and encouraging participation in hunting and the shooting sports,” NSSF Senior Vice President Lawrence G. Keane explained.
Going through the list does not reveal many surprises. Republican senators such as Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz each have a ‘100%’, where as Democratic senators like Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders have a ‘0%’.
In a statement, the NSSF goes on to say that the Second Amendment is one of the most critical factors for American voters during elections.
“It was clear in the last presidential election that the ability to freely exercise Second Amendment rights and fully participate in the shooting sports was a deciding factor for many voters,” Keane added. “Members of our industry, gun owners and sportsmen and sportswomen are strongly urged to participate in this election and should be fully informed of how their prospective Members of Congress vote on the issues impacting their livelihood and recreational activities.”
Gun rights has been of particular importance to Americans leading up to 2018’s midterm elections. Gallup reported support for gun control (and presumably the Democrats that would implement it) saw a sharp spike in February following the highly politicized mass shooting in Parkland Florida. However, Gallup noted this support began to decline as a the incident faded from public memory.
At this point, voters should be fully aware of where their candidates stand on the Second Amendment. Democrats and Republicans have drawn clear distinctions on this issue, and as far as we’re concerned, there is really only one choice for gun owners — it’s the people that don’t want to ban guns.
~ Firearm Daily
