Gotta put pressure on these Senate Democrats.<\/p>\n
Meet The NRA-Backed Senate Democrats Who Oppose Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Plan | ThinkProgress<\/a> <\/p>\n Yet a group of Senate Democrats, all of them highly rated<\/a> by the National Rifle Association, are refusing to say if they support the President\u2019s reform package. Below is a list of the Senators in question, how they\u2019re rated by the NRA, and what they\u2019ve said about gun law reform:<\/p>\n 1. Max Baucus, Montana (NRA Rating: A+).<\/strong> Baucus appeared to oppose any federal action on gun law reform, saying<\/a> in a statement that \u201cBefore passing new laws, we need a thoughtful debate that respects responsible, law-abiding gun owners in Montana instead of a one-size-fits all directives from Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota (NRA Rating: A).<\/strong> In a local television appearance<\/a> before President Obama\u2019s announcement, Heitkamp accused the White House of having ulterior motives besides preventing mass killing, claiming \u201cThere isn\u2019t any amount of gun regulation or gun executive orders that will solve the problem of identifying people who could potentially do this and making sure they get the help and their families get the help so they don\u2019 t do this. I\u2019ve said it all along that this is wrong headed\u2026I think it is an agenda driven by something other than school shootings.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Tim Johnson, South Dakota (NRA Rating: A).<\/strong> Like Baucus, Johnson argued against federal solutions<\/a>: \u201cWe in South Dakota have far fewer problems with guns than they do in New York or New Jersey and it makes common sense to not have one size fits all.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Joe Donnelly, Indiana (NRA Rating: A).<\/strong> Donnelly simply said that \u201cI am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment,\u201d pointed to his NRA endorsement, and rejected<\/a> the assault weapons ban plan of Obama\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n 5. Mark Begich, Alaska (NRA Rating: A).<\/strong> Begich went even further than Donnelly in criticizing the assault weapons ban<\/a>, saying \u201cI \u2026 take issue with the president\u2019s call for banning aesthetically altered rifles and shotguns and certain magazines. This is a dangerous limitation on a family\u2019s ability to defend itself.\u201d He did, however, support \u201cmeasures to improve lacking law enforcement protocols designed to prevent those with mental illness from obtaining weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. Joe Manchin, West Virginia (NRA Rating: A).<\/strong> Manchin blamed a \u201cculture of mass violence\u201d rather than the spread of deadly weapons, wishing the president had created<\/a> a \u201cnational commission [to] build the consensus we need for real action backed not only by gun control advocates, mental health experts and entertainment industry executives but also by law-abiding gun owners who fully understand the history and heritage of firearms in America.\u201d<\/p>\n 7. John Tester, Montana (NRA Rating: A-).<\/strong> Tester refused<\/a> to take a position, saying \u201cAs Congress considers ways to address gun violence, we must look at all aspects of this issue. Our priority must be keeping all Americans\u2013especially our kids\u2013safe. I will look closely at all proposals on the table, but we must use common sense and respect our Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n 8. Harry Reid, Nevada (NRA Rating: B).<\/strong> Reid, like Tester, wouldn\u2019t say<\/a> one way or another: \u201cI thank the President\u2019s task force for its thoughtful recommendations. I am committed to ensuring that the Senate will consider legislation that addresses gun violence and other aspects of violence in our society early this year. The tragedy at Sandy Hook was just the latest sad reminder that we are not doing enough to protect our citizens \u2013 especially our children \u2013 from gun violence and a culture of violence, and all options should be on the table moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n Meet The NRA-Backed Senate Democrats Who Oppose Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Plan | ThinkProgress<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gotta put pressure on these Senate Democrats. Meet The NRA-Backed Senate Democrats Who Oppose Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Plan | ThinkProgress Yet a group of Senate Democrats, all of them highly rated by the National Rifle Association, are refusing to say if they support the President\u2019s reform package. Below is a list of the Senators … Continue reading Meet The NRA-Backed Senate Democrats Who Oppose Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Plan | ThinkProgress<\/span> \n
\n