How Much Money Is Marco Rubio Getting From The Nra

One calendar week subsequently the deadly shooting at a loftier school in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people, lawmakers and a representative of the National Rifle Association faced tough questions from students, teachers and parents at a CNN town hall meeting to hash out how to forbid such tragedies in the future.

Florida Sens. Marco Rubio, a Republican, and Pecker Nelson, a Democrat, and U.Due south. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., started by answering parents and students at the event in Sunrise.

Rubio was the lone Republican lawmaker on the console, every bit CNN's Jake Tapper said both President Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott declined invitations to attend.

Throughout the result, Rubio found himself in the hot seat, fielding the bulk of the questions.

One of them came from Cameron Kasky, a junior who survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolhouse, and drew thanks and adulation from the audience: "Sen. Rubio, can you lot tell me correct at present that you volition not accept a single donation from the NRA?"

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Rubio's response did not appear to satisfy the audience: "These positions I hold on the Second Amendment, I've held since the day I entered office in the city of West Miami as an elected official," he said, adding, "People buy into my calendar."

The Florida senator as well said it is not the NRA's money that has a big touch on on gun policy. "The influence of these groups comes not from money," Rubio said. "The influence comes from the millions of people that agree with the agenda, the millions of Americans that support the NRA."

When Sen. Nelson was asked by junior Samantha Grady — who was shot twice at at the school last calendar week — what he would exercise to strengthen background checks, he said that there are so many other things that can exist done, merely that "when you get right down to it, the gun is what is going to do the killing."

Nelson added, "I've always had guns. I've hunted all my life. I nonetheless hunt with my son, but an AK-47 and an AR-15 is non for hunting — it's for killing."

Deutch furthered Nelson's sentiment, challenging Rubio, who said there were too many loopholes in assault weapons bans.

"If at that place is a problem with the assault weapons ban ... if in that location was a trouble with the way that was written, if there were also many loopholes for people trying to get around information technology to utilize, and then let's bring up the assault weapons ban and shut all those loopholes, and so we have a bill that keeps people safe," Deutch said.

National Burglarize Clan spokeswoman Dana Loesch offered the organization'south response to the massacre.

When asked by Emma González, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, if it should be harder for people to obtain semi-automatic weapons, Loesch focused on the mental state of those purchasing firearms.

Speaking about the gunman, 19-year-sometime Nikolas Cruz, Loesch said, "I don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm — ever."

Loesch said that she spoke for herself and the millions of members of the NRA in maxim that "none of the states back up people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are a danger to others getting their hands on a firearm."

The NRA does believe there is a demand to strengthen background checks, and for country and federal law enforcement to follow up on "red flags," such every bit social media postings as a form of prevention, she said.

Loesch as well took aim at what she sees equally flaws in the National Instant Criminal Background Cheque Organization, citing a fact that states are not federally mandated to written report convictions to the system.

The spokeswoman argued that terminal calendar week's shooting likewise every bit ane last November in Sutherland Springs, Texas, could have been prevented by more thorough reporting to the database. In Sutherland Springs, the gunman killed 26 and was able to purchase firearms because the Air Force failed to submit his convictions on domestic abuse charges while enlisted.

Students, teachers and parents of victims asked Loesch well-nigh the actions the NRA is taking to prevent more school shootings.

Loesch noted that the NRA supports banning bump stocks and promotes condom in schools with its National Schoolhouse Shield program that focuses on "improving school security in an effort to help prevent national tragedies at educational institutions in America."

"It'southward upward to the schoolhouse and the parents of those schools if they want to use those resources and use those suggestions," she said.

"If [schools] want to have armed guards, if they want to take retired military machine, if they choose and teachers volunteer to be armed...that's upwards to each individual school ... but if they too want a solution that doesn't involve firearms. If they desire to talk about checkpoint systems, if they want to talk near reinforcing doors, the NRA, our resource are at their disposal," she said.

Loesch was joined on phase by Broward Canton Sheriff Scott Israel, who responding to President Trump'southward comments in which he supported arming teachers with firearms, said, "I don't believe teachers should be armed. I believe teachers should teach, but that's exactly what's incorrect with this country."

When asked about raising the age limit for purchasing firearms, Loesch defended the NRA's position, though before in the nighttime, Rubio said he would back up raising the age limit for those wanting to purchase AR-xv manner rifles and would reconsider his position on large-chapters magazines.

"If y'all are 18 years of age, you should non be able to purchase a rifle," Rubio said. "I will back up a police force that takes that right away."

Rubio too said he does non support arming teachers, but does support background check regulation reform, a point that both Nelson and Deutch agreed on likewise.

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Source: https://archive.kpcc.org/news/2018/02/22/81017/at-cnn-town-hall-sen-marco-rubio-declines-to-say-h/

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