Gingrich Vowed to Bar Gun-Control Bills
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WASHINGTON — Shortly after taking charge of the House in January, Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) promised the National Rifle Assn. in writing that no gun-control legislation would move out of committee or on the House floor as long as he is Speaker.
Gingrich made the pledge in a Jan. 27 letter to the NRA’s chief lobbyist, Tanya Metaksa.
The Speaker’s deputy press secretary, Lauren Sims, said Monday: “The pledge still stands.”
Gun-control advocates expressed chagrin. “This letter dispels any doubts that Newt Gingrich and the Republican majority are owned lock, stock and barrel by the NRA,” Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) charged.
NRA influence in the new Congress, especially in the House, has been a recurring issue in recent weeks, with critics charging that the NRA heavily influenced Republican-led hearings into the Waco disaster and effectively stalled inquiries into the militia movement. The NRA has denied any undue influence.
The Speaker wrote his note two days after meeting with NRA representatives concerning gun control issues.
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