EXCLUSIVE: Top Gun Rights Advocates: Democrats Pushing Most Extreme Gun Control In Decades
Luke Rohlfing
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The midterm elections were far from a blue wave. But for gun control proponents, it is enough for them to cash-in, and potentially pass the most extreme gun control in decades.
Gun control groups spent a combined total of $37 million going into the midterm elections, with much going to House races. In targeted races, they won big.
Indeed, Everytown was able to elect perhaps their biggest anti-gun champion who is sure to aggressively pursue their agenda.
Lucy McBath was elected in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District with the help of Everytown, who spent over $4 million in support of her candidacy. McBath previously served as the National Spokesperson for an Everytown affiliated organization.
This is one of dozens of races that flipped from Democrat to Republican, and allowed for Democrats to win back the House.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will likely serve as Speaker of the House, quickly made it clear that gun control is one of their top items of their agenda.
“Because in this Congress, the one that we’re in right this minute, there is bipartisan legislation to have common sense background checks, to prevent guns going into the wrong hands,” Pelosi said in an interview.
Mike Thompson, the Democrat chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force mirrored Pelosi’s statement, telling the Wall Street Journal:
“This new majority is not going to be afraid of our shadow… We know that we’ve been elected to do a job, and we’re going to do it.”
In response to these statements, Big League Politics reached out to top gun rights activists, who have been leading the charge against gun control for decades.
While the National Rifle Association (NRA) is the most well known gun rights organization, both the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) and Gun Owners of America (GOA) have been around, often standing up against gun control even when the NRA wouldn’t.
Dudley Brown is the President of the NAGR, and has been fighting gun control, blocking any compromises, for his entire professional career.
The NAGR is credited with defeating the Manchin-Toomey gun control compromise of 2013, which would have outlawed private gun transfers.
Brown spoke exclusively with Big League Politics, explaining how his organization fully expects Democrats to push Clinton-era gun control bills, along with “red flag” laws. Their opposition to “red flag” laws put them in direct odds with the NRA, who support their passage.
“In predictable fashion, anti-gun Democrats led by Nancy Pelosi are already champing at the bit to further erode our Second Amendment rights.” Brown told Big League Politics.
“We fully expect them to introduce every form of failed Clinton-era gun control they can ram through the House of Representatives, and we’re ready to push back on their unconstitutional agenda. So-called ‘Red Flag’ gun confiscation and ‘assault weapons’ bans will most likely be their first choice.” Brown continued.
“Even though states like California and Maryland already has these crooked laws on the books, it didn’t stop deranged gunmen from murdering innocent victims in a dance hall and newsroom. How about we repeal deadly ‘gun free’ zones where all of these mass shootings take place?” Brown concluded.
Erich Pratt, the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America mirrors the sentiments of Brown, stressing the importance of stopping proposals like “Red Flag” laws, which his organization calls “gun confiscation orders.”
“It’s the same sort of battle we fought in 2013, when you had many Republicans pushing a gun control compromise.” Pratt told Big League Politics. “But thankfully we were able to put on enough pressure to keep Republicans from quishing out.”
“We’re already seeing that some parts of the grassroots are becoming complacent, thinking that whatever Nancy Pelosi throws out will be stopped by the Senate and President. But that isn’t necessarily true,” Pratt continues.
“Republicans have a history of bending the knee to gun control. So we can’t outright say that gun control is dead because Republicans control the Senate,” he warns. “We’ve got a battle, and we must remain vigilant.”
So while many are thinking that gun control is off the table with Republicans having the Senate and White House, some of the major voices who have been fighting gun control for decades are less certain.
Big League Politics will continue to track gun control in the upcoming Congress.
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