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The battle between Trump and the NRA begins

Why does the National Rifle Association EU disapprove of the United States' president's initiatives?

The battle between Trump and the NRA begins

The National Rifle Association (NRA) manifested itself on Sunday February 25th against the president Donald Tump's and other Republicans' proposals to change gun laws in the United States after the shooting on February 14th in Florida, which left 17 people dead and 14 wounded.

The powerful group, and one of the main actors lobbying, does not endorse proposals for Trump to increase the age limit for buying certain types of weapons and prohibited devices known as "bump stocks" that allow semiautomatic rifles firing a larger number of rounds per minute, said NRA spokeswoman, Dana Loesch.

The NRA supported Trump in his 2016 presidential campaign, and often proclaims its support for the constitutional right of Americans to own firearms. However, the massacre of February 14 has mobilized high school students to push for restrictions on arms sales, it has encouraged several companies to cut ties with the NRA, and has enabled gun control activists.

As the legislative November elections approach, Trump and Republicans are under pressure to show that they are responding to concerns about school safety without angering supporters who oppose gun control.

Since the shooting in Florida, Trump has declared his support to increase the federal age limit to buy rifles to 21. The 19-year-old responsible for the shooting at Parkland, Florida, bought his rifle legally.

At dinner at the White House for the governors of the nation on Sunday 25 February, Trump said his meetings with them during the week would focus on school safety after the "horrible" shooting in Parkland, describing the issue as "first on the list".

"Gentlemen, half of you are so afraid of the NRA", the president said Monday at a meeting with the governors of the country, "there is nothing to fear. And you know what? If they are not with you, we must fight them occasionally. Sometimes we'll have to be very tough and we will have to fight them".

President Donald Trump said he is willing to take on the National Rifle Association on gun legislation, but Republicans who control Congress are not so sure. They prefer to consider only changes to the boundaries of firearms in response to recent mass shootings mainly to Florida.

Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, are reviving their bill background check, which failed before, even after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Manchin he said opponents at that time were concerned. President Barack Obama would impose even tighter restrictions. "Well, now do not have that fear with President Trump", Manchin said scoring the revival of his proposal.

Democrats have long pushed for more radical changes towards a universal background check system, which includes applications for online shopping and exhibition of firearms. However, changes have not been carried out because of the power of the NRA as a group lobbying in Congress. On the other hand, activism in favor of gun control actually increased since last February 14.

 

Latin American Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella

Translated from "Inicia el pulso entre Trump y la NRA"

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