Guns and Money

Gun violence has become the norm in the U.S. It feels like every day we hear news about a mass shooting or violent incident involving guns. Following a mass shooting event, we hear calls for increased gun control and new legislation aimed at curbing gun violence. Ultimately, though, nothing changes. I wanted to learn more about efforts by gun rights and gun control groups to influence the political discourse and outcomes surrounding gun violence.

As is often the case with politics, you need to follow the money to understand who has the power to influence gun policy in America.

In 2010, the Supreme Court reached a narrow 5-4 decision in a case with far-reaching consequences. The court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations and other outside groups can spend unlimited money on elections.

In the wake of Citizens United, Political Action Committees (PACs) and wealthy donors have had an outsized influence on our political discourse and outcomes. Flexing their financial power, these individuals and institutions sway our elected officials, even when their policy positions contradict the will of the average American citizen. In the 2020 election cycle, PACs and large donors represented more than 75% of political contributions to both Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives.

The NRA (National Rifle Association) is the most powerful gun rights advocacy group in the country. The association has a lobbying arm, The Institute for Legislative Action, and several PACs. The lobbying arm aims to shape gun policy by encouraging expansion of gun rights and open-carry laws, while the PACs make financial contributions to gun-friendly candidates. For example, the NRA website features a report card for all members of Congress, awarding A's to gun-friendly candidates and F's to those seeking to increase gun regulation.

The NRA's financial contributions skew sharply along party lines. OpenSecrets collected data on NRA direct support (PAC contributions) and indirect support (independent expenditures) for all members of Congress dating back to 1989. OpenSecrets also collected information on NRA direct and indirect spending to support opposing candidates to each representative. From there, this information was used to calculate a total dollar figure representing overall NRA support for a candidate.

Over an entire career as an elected official, NRA contributions can be quite significant. Mitt Romney, for example, has received over $10 million in financial support from the NRA. Money like this can really make a difference in an official's ability to win elections. Featured below are other representatives that the NRA has supported most through direct and indirect financial contributions.