Washington, D.C., September 27, 2019 — The New York Times reported today that President Trump met with NRA President Wayne LaPierre to discuss how the NRA could provide financial support for the president’s defense as he faces the threat of impeachment, and a tough reelection. In return, LaPierre asked the White House to “stop the games” over potential support for gun violence prevention legislation.
This follows a report earlier today released by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee concluding that the NRA acted as a “foreign asset” to Russia ahead of the 2016 Presidential election.
Brady President Kris Brown stated,
“The NRA, quite ironically, attempts to label itself as “Freedom’s Safest Place.” Their actions in seeking what appears to be an unlawful legislative payback for funding President Trump’s defense as he faces impeachment, show an unprecedented level of corruption in our democracy. This political gamesmanship is literally taking American lives. One hundred people in the United States are killed every single day by preventable gun violence. We know the solutions, but the NRA is using its monetarily secured relationship, fueled by Russia, to stop our President from taking action. Every member of Congress that fails to vote on gun violence prevention legislation is bowing down to this corruption, including, most notably, our Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
McConnell has been sitting on life-saving legislation to expand the Brady Background Check system for more than 200 days. And in that time, 20,000 people in America have died due to gun violence. If memory serves, our officials were elected by Americans, and we the people, we American people, deserve better. We deserve to live in a country where we can go about our daily lives without the fear of being shot.”
End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller stated,
“Donald Trump is the most corrupt President in modern history and he’ll do anything for the NRA’s money. When the NRA says jump, President Trump asks, ‘How high?’ We need to stop gun violence destroying our communities and to do that we need to get the corporate gun lobby’s money out of the Oval Office and out of our politics.”
On Monday, Brady will deliver a petition with more than 145,000 signatures to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demanding an investigation into the NRA’s tax-exempt status. Brady and petition signers are asking the IRS to investigate whether the NRA operates in the public interest, or works exclusively to make money for the gun industry. If the IRS finds that the NRA is indeed abusing its tax-exempt status, then Brady and petition signers demand the NRA’s tax-exempt status be immediately and permanently revoked.
Brady continues its campaign calling out President Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell for their inaction, stating that every day the President and Senate Majority Leader choose the NRA over the safety of the American public, 100 more people are killed by gun violence. Blood is on their hands.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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