Follow the money blocking gun safety reforms
“Texas Mall Shooting Leaves 9 Dead” – Time
“Heidi and I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific mall shooting in Allen, Texas.” – Ted Cruz
Gun control is one of many issues in which majority opinion in the nation runs into the brick wall of a Senate rule—the filibuster—that provides a veto over national policy to a minority of the states, most of them small, largely rural, preponderantly white, and dominated by Republicans. – The Atlantic
The Supreme Court declared, in a decision authored by Clarence Thomas that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, handing a landmark victory to gun rights advocates in a nation deeply divided over how to address firearms violence. – Reuters
In the wake of the mass shooting last month at a high school in Parkland, Florida, Trump vowed to use his executive authority to enact gun control through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But over the past year, the ATF has been moving in the opposite direction, delaying new gun-safety rules developed under the Obama administration. (NBC News). No Labels featured Donald Trump at its “problem solver”.
What do these actions have to do with the mass shooting at the Texas mall that left nine people dead? Who is funding the senators and groups blocking common sense gun safety measures? Paying for luxury travel by Supreme Court Justices writing decisions to expand gun rights? Follow the money and you decide for yourself with this relationship map? What is the price of a life in America measured in terms of political donations?
Follow the money
CROW GAVE BIG TO REPUBLICANS
Sitting members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have raked in more than $400,000 from Republican megadonor and businessman Harlan Crow over their congressional careers, according to campaign finance reports. Politico.
$8,300 to Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)
$13,400 to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
$6,400 to Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
Past members of the committee have taken $44,200 in contributions from Crow, including almost $11,000 each for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).The next largest beneficiaries on the committee of Crow’s political contributions have been Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Cotton’s campaign committee and leadership PAC have accepted $23,700 from Crow over the years, while Cruz’s Senate and presidential campaigns and leadership PAC have brought in $23,500 from Crow.
Crow has given $23,300 to various PACs affiliated with Grassley, the panel’s former top Republican. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has raised $19,500 from Crow, while a joint fundraising committee affiliated with current ranking member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) received $17,800 from Crow and Graham’s campaign committee received $2,800 from the billionaire. Crow has given less to other members of the committee, donating $8,300 to Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), $13,400 to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and $6,400 to Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) over the course of 16 years. Past members of the committee have taken $44,200 in contributions from Crow, including almost $11,000 each for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). – Politico
Mega donor
Crow donated over $130,000 to No Labels
“Crow was considered a “whale”-level donor by the organization—an august status reserved for only the most generous donors. Crow referred other donors to No Labels, ones who earned the “whale,” “dolphin,” and lesser “minnow” status. By 2021, Crow had steered nearly two dozen other donors to No Labels, the information provided to The New Republic shows.
… No Labels also labeled Donald Trump a “problem solver” in the early days of the 2016 campaign because he signed a piece of paper No Labels circulated supposedly committing to enacting certain reforms if elected.” – New Republic
Trump delays new gun-safety rules
In the wake of the mass shooting last month at a high school in Parkland, Florida, President Donald Trump vowed to use his executive authority to enact gun control through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But over the past year, the ATF has been moving in the opposite direction, delaying new gun-safety rules developed under the Obama administration.
As part of Trump’s government-wide push for deregulation, the ATF has stalled a number of gun regulations that had been moving forward under Obama, including a new requirement to make secure gun storage or safety devices more widely available. Last year, the administration formally reclassified the proposed gun storage rule and other regulatory changes as “long-term actions,” indicating the ATF was not expecting to act on them within the next year. Under Obama, the ATF had drafted a rule that would require gun dealers to make secure gun storage or safety devices available anywhere that firearms are sold to unlicensed individuals. – NBC News
In 2015, No Labels featured Donald Trump at its “problem solver” event in New Hampshire. No Labels posted a tweet calling the Jan. 6 committee “a partisan exercise” … – Politico
Clarence Thomas rules to expand gun rights
The Supreme Court on Thursday declared for the first time that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, handing a landmark victory to gun rights advocates in a nation deeply divided over how to address firearms violence. The 6-3 ruling, with the conservative justices in the majority and liberal justices in dissent, struck down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. The court found that the law, enacted in 1913, violated a person’s right to “keep and bear arms” under the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.
The ruling, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, could undermine similar restrictions in other states and imperil other types of state and local firearms restrictions nationwide. Thomas wrote: “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need.”
Gun rights, held dear by many Americans and promised by the country’s 18th century founders, are a contentious issue in a nation with high levels of firearms violence including numerous mass shootings. Just in recent weeks, 19 children and two teachers were killed on May 24 at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and 10 people were slain on May 14 at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. – Reuters
TakeAway: Elections have consequences. Stop billionaires rigging the system for themselves. Next time, vote for a Democrat.
Deepak
DemLabs
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Reposted from Democracy Labs with permission.
