STATEMENT: Senator Heller Shows us How to Earn an “A” from the NRA
Washington, D.C. — Peter Ambler, executive director of the gun violence prevention organization Giffords, issued the following statement reacting to the news that the National Rifle Association gave Senator Heller an A grade for his record on their agenda.
STATEMENT FROM GIFFORDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PETER AMBLER:
“It’s not hard to get an A from the NRA. In fact, doing nothing is the key. Even after the Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Senator Heller did nothing.
“This comes as no surprise. Heller’s track record on gun violence is as predictable as it is long. He offers condolences, but no solutions, to the families of gun violence victims. It shouldn’t shock anyone, given the fact that he continues to accept NRA contributions in return for thwarting efforts to pass legislative solutions to save lives.
“But voters have had enough.The days when politicians like Senator Heller could do the gun lobby’s bidding and stay in power are numbered. 166 days to be exact. Voters recognize that if politicians like Senator Heller refuse to keep communities safe, it’s their job to elect leaders who will.”
Santa Fe High School – Santa Fe, TX
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School – Parkland, FL
Congressional Baseball Shooting – Alexandria, VA
Background on Giffords’ Political Program
The initial step to this growing list of races began in the hours after the Parkland shooting, when Giffords used #VoteCourage to get people to pledge to support candidates in November who will stand up to the gun lobby and fight for safer communities. In less than a week more than 450,000 Americans took the pledge.
Following the #VoteCourage pledge, Giffords began this ongoing, robust political program to shine a light on incumbents’ record of prioritizing the interests of the gun industry over public safety. It is encouraging voters to support candidates with the courage to stand up to the gun lobby. Along with the digital advertisements going out today and the website database the program will include TV advertising, on-the-ground organizing and events, and a voter registration push.
Giffords launched a partnership with NextGen America and Everytown for Gun safety on a voter registration effort that is committing an initial $1.5 million to seek to get up to 50,000 Americans aged 18-19 registered for the midterm elections. In 2017, Giffords launched its candidate training program to help educate candidates who want to run on a gun safety platform and plans to expand the program in 2018.
The mass shooting at Parkland, in Florida, crystallized the country’s frustration with the lack of any action to pass gun safety laws. Gun death rates have climbed to levels not seen in decades. Currently, the country is averaging nearly 34,000 deaths from guns every year, and recent polling shows that support for stronger gun laws is at an all-time high.
Last November saw gun safety champions win commandingly across the country – from statewide races in Virginia and New Jersey to a key state senate seat in Washington state. The elections sparked what has become known as the suburban rebellion in the districts that will matter to who will have control of Congress next year.
In 2016, Giffords flagship program was in the US Senate race in New Hampshire, where it invested $2.6 million in a targeted campaign to defeat incumbent Senator Kelly Ayotte by reminding voters of her vote against universal background checks, making the race a referendum on gun violence prevention.
Suburban voters overwhelmingly support safer gun laws, making most Republican incumbents in suburban districts out-of-step with their voters on the issue. Two bills to further regulate or ban the sale of bump stocks that were introduced in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting have a combined 15 Republican co-sponsors, all of whom represent politically vulnerable districts. This is a sign that House Republicans understand that opposing reasonable gun safety measures could be a political liability in 2018.
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