In the pathos following the recent mass murders, much has been written about making changes to legislation that would have meaningful impact on these tragedies. Ron Faucheux’s opinion of June 6, “Is consensus on guns possible,” covers Second Amendment rights, tradeoffs protecting gun rights vs. limiting gun ownership, federal and state regulatory policies and the perceived effectiveness of various restrictions.
Missing is the real key to government policymaking: Follow the money. The website, www.bradyunited.org, lists 49 senators in the 116th Congress who “refuse to support common-sense gun reform” and “who have benefitted the most from the NRA’s political spending throughout their entire political careers” as well as the total amount of money each has received.
A few of the 49 names include Mitt Romney ($13,647,676), Richard Burr ($6,987,380), Roy Blunt ($4,555,722), Thom Tillis ($4,429,333), Marco Rubio ($3,303,355), Bill Cassidy ($2,870,574), Josh Hawley ($1,391,548), Mitch McConnell ($1,283,515), and John Kennedy ($215,788). The total contributions received by the 49 senators over their careers is an astounding $58,161,337.
Does anyone believe that any of these dogs are going to bite the hand of the master who feeds them? No, these senators and their House counterparts value reelection and maintaining power forever rather than moving to make America a better country.
Sadly, until voters demand changes to this system of gun manufacturers and their lobby funding $58 million to politicians, I am not optimistic that any meaningful consensus will be reached, once again disappointing the many polled voters referred to in Faucheux’s essay.
DAVID ELIZARDI
physician
Metairie