Since October, three major mass shootings have occurred: the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, killing 17, the Las Vegas shooting, killing 58, and the Sutherland Springs shooting, killing 26. Because of the tragic deaths these shootings caused, a surge of protests and rallies began supporting the creation of more gun laws. The United States was founded on the belief that government officials are supposed to support and represent the voice of the people. This ensured that the decisions made by legislators supported what was in the majority of the people’s best interest and wishes. Sadly, thanks to lobbying in organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), this is no longer the case today, especially when it comes to the fight for more gun laws.
Despite a 2018 Quinnipiac University poll reporting that 66% of Americans support stricter gun laws, very few laws that regulate gun ownership have passed at the state and federal levels; the NRA’s lobbying power is to blame. The NRA opposes any form of stronger gun regulation and has gone to great lengths to maintain minimal restrictions on the right to bear arms. It has only been successful, however, because of its vast financial resources. For example, the NRA spent over five million dollars in anti-gun control lobbying just in 2017. Most of this money is going directly to our elected officials.
Because they need funding to run their campaigns and stay in office, congressmen are lured into supporting and relying on the NRA. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 57% of congressmen have benefited from NRA lobbying money. In fact, eight congressmen have received over a million dollars from the NRA during their careers, the highest being North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who has received almost two million dollars. With only six Republicans having not been paid by the NRA, it is no surprise that stronger gun legislation cannot be passed in the U.S.
If this wasn’t enough to keep guns from being regulated, the money spent by the NRA on lobbying greatly outweighs that of all the pro-gun control groups combined. Ten of the 24 NRA lobbyists have previously held positions in the government, giving the NRA a good advantage over pro-gun control groups when it comes to knowing how the government works and the best ways to strategically secure votes. Moreover, the NRA is capable of spending five million dollars on lobbying in just one year. The spending of all pro-gun control groups combined was less than two million during 2017, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
NRA lobbying has exposed an egregious flaw in the U.S. government: the opinions of the American people are silenced by lobbyists, and legislators can be easily corrupted by the NRA despite the desires of their constituents. Much debate continues over whether laws that restrict the use of lobbying should be put into place. Sadly, like gun regulation, these laws would require the votes of the congressmen controlled by the very thing these potential laws would restrict. In order to eliminate this common corruption, we must vote out all legislators accepting money from the NRA so that our elected officials will listen to the wishes of the people rather than those of the highest bidder.
