In the wake of the San Bernardino shooting that claimed 14 lives earlier this week, some have rushed to blame the National Rifle Association and the ambiguous “gun lobby” for stripping away laws that might have kept firearms out of the suspects’ hands.
Setting aside the details of the shooting investigation, which now point to an act of radical Islamic terrorism, an examination of the NRA’s actual lobbying and political contributions reveals it is a relatively light spender compared to other corporations, interest groups and industries.
For example, the NRA spent roughly half of what the dairy industry spent last year on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
“Just what will it take for Congress to overcome the intimidation of the gun lobby and do something as sensible as making sure people on the terrorist watch list can’t buy weapons?” Hillary Clinton said Thursday at a campaign event in New Hampshire, joining a chorus of Democrats who called for aggressive gun control measures immediately after the shooting Wednesday.
“Those who choose to do the NRA’s bidding will be held accountable by our constituents,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned on the floor Thursday.
The New York Daily News published a cover story Friday that blamed the “NRA’s sick gun jihad” for contributing to the shooting, which took place in the state with the nation’s strictest gun laws, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Blue Cross Blue Shield, a major health insurance company, poured more than six times as much money into lobbying as did the NRA last year by pushing in part for tweaks to Obamacare that benefited its bottom line. The American Hospital Association, lobbying on behalf of hospitals across the country, dedicated $20.7 million to its effort that same year.
Morgan Stanley, a major investment bank, spent $4.8 million on lobbying in 2014 to the NRA’s $3.3 million. Morgan Stanley is one of Clinton’s top campaign donors.
Teachers’ unions spent slightly more than the NRA on lobbying last year at $3.8 million.
Various individual companies, from General Electric to Boeing, poured many millions more into their lobbying efforts than did the NRA.
The NRA’s lobbying dollars went to more than just the defeat of gun control legislation. The organization worked on hunting regulations, rules about the handling of antique guns and even the creation of a modest tax credit for legal gun owners who invested in safety devices and storage.
Vastly outpacing the NRA’s lobbying spending last year was the National Association of Realtors, a group that advocates for, among other things, lax lending policies that make it easier for people to buy homes. Many blamed such policies for the collapse of the housing market in 2008, leading to a deep economic recession.
Clinton has delivered a speech to the National Association of Realtors to raise money for her family’s foundation. The realtors lobby is one of the largest lobbies in the country.
Planned Parenthood spent less than the NRA on lobbying last year, but gave more in direct political contributions to candidates and their political action committees during the 2014 cycle.
So, too, did the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List, which quadrupled the NRA’s political contributions.
The NRA gave $984,152 in 2014 contributions, falling short of Planned Parenthood’s $1,578,911.
The Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, two influential environmental groups, also dwarfed the NRA’s spending in this category.
But unions gave significantly more than both the abortion advocates and the green groups.
The American Federation of Teachers contributed $19 million to candidates and PACs last year, while the Service Employees International Union, which has endorsed Clinton, spent more than $23 million on political contributions.
More than political spending, the NRA wields influence of a different kind: widespread popular support.
The NRA has more than twice the membership of SEIU, for example, making its decision to support or oppose a political candidate consequential simply because of its size.
With 5 million members, the NRA is also much larger than EMILY’s List, which has 3 million members.
