Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

A Pro-Gun Majority in U.S. House Will Preserve American Freedom

Friday, March 30, 2018

A Pro-Gun Majority in U.S. House Will Preserve American Freedom

The framers of the Constitution specifically designed the U.S. House of Representatives to give the population of each state direct representation in Congress. House members not only represent their states, they represent the particular concerns of their districts within those states. This is why so many representatives remain staunchly pro-gun, even in states where anti-gun politics dominate densely populated areas (and therefore the politics of the state as a whole). California, Illinois, New York and Washington are examples of reliably anti-gun votes in the U.S. Senate that nevertheless feature robust areas of gun culture that contribute pro-gun votes in the House.

While the ins and outs of America’s electoral system might conjure memories of high school civics classes, knowing the details will do more than help you dominate trivia contests. They are fundamental to protecting your most cherished rights.

Members of the House face re-election every two years, so they have a high level of accountability. Needless to say, every other House election coincides with a presidential election, and a strong presidential candidate at the top of the ticket can benefit other candidates by bringing voters to the polls. Off-year elections, however, favor the party whose voters are most engaged and energized.

The number of voting U.S. representatives is currently fixed by law at 435, but congressional districts are reapportioned among the states every 10 years based on their populations as determined by a census. The states themselves also have some flexibility in re-drawing electoral districts, a process that typically occurs after the results of the census are announced. Both political parties will do all they can to protect the districts they hold. And unless there is evidence of unconstitutional discrimination in the drawing of districts, the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled that this is the prerogative of the political process, not the courts.

Members of the House have certain special roles within America’s constitutional system. These include initiating bills for raising revenue and choosing the president in the event of an Electoral College tie. 

What does this all mean to gun owners concerned about their rights?

In short, it means everything.

Maintaining a pro-gun majority in the House of Representatives is essential if we’re going to not only advance our rights but also to keep the hard-fought gains we’ve made.

And make no mistake, anti-gun activists will launch an all-out effort this November to do whatever it takes to win back control of the House from the current pro-gun majority.

Anti-gun members of Congress are counting on the progressive base’s visceral hatred of President Donald Trump and his agenda for big turnouts at the polls. Their reaction to the president’s unifying and inspiring message at the State of the Union in January was a clear indication of their determination to resist him simply for the sake of resistance and to avenge their stunning electoral defeat in 2016.

Maintaining a pro-gun majority in the House of Representatives is essential if we’re going to not only advance our rights but also to keep the hard-fought gains we’ve made.

In a CBS News poll of viewers, 75 percent said they approved of the State of the Union speech, while 80 percent said they felt the president was trying to unite the country, rather than divide it. Two-thirds said the speech inspired pride.

Yet as lawmakers chanted “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” following a litany of memorials dedicated to American sacrifice, courage, and heroism delivered by the president, anti-gun Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., fled the chamber in undisguised contempt. And he was not alone. An MSNBC pundit dismissed the president’s invocation of church, family, police, military, and the national anthem as “tropes of 1950s-era nationalism.”

Even The Washington Post admitted that the reaction of many members of Congress was “embarrassing.” That certainly applies to the repeated scowls from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

The choice for gun owners this November is simple. We can sit idly by and watch the vengeful “resistance” prevail. Or we can re-elect the pro-gun incumbents who rolled back Obama’s Social Security gun ban, voted to protect the Second Amendment rights of veterans, sent national reciprocity legislation to the Senate and stopped opportunistic gun control in its tracks.

For those of us who care about our fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, we must stand and fight—there is no other option.

IN THIS ARTICLE
Chris W. Cox Election 2018
TRENDING NOW
Declassified Document: Biden-Harris Administration Targeted Gun Owners and Second Amendment Rights Under “Domestic Terrorism” Pretext

News  

Monday, April 21, 2025

Declassified Document: Biden-Harris Administration Targeted Gun Owners and Second Amendment Rights Under “Domestic Terrorism” Pretext

On April 16, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made good on a promise to expose the ways in which the Biden administration had weaponized the federal government against its political adversaries by releasing the Biden-era “Strategic Implementation Plan ...

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Federal Court in Massachusetts Enforces Range Access Statute in Pathbreaking Case

News  

Monday, April 21, 2025

Federal Court in Massachusetts Enforces Range Access Statute in Pathbreaking Case

It has happened before in Massachusetts: A small, hardy band of armed Americans faces off against elements of the most powerful military in the world and commits a revolutionary act that paves the way for ...

Germany Strips “Extremist” AfD Members, Supporters of Gun Licenses, Guns

News  

Monday, April 14, 2025

Germany Strips “Extremist” AfD Members, Supporters of Gun Licenses, Guns

It’s been only a few years since the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling the NRA a “domestic terrorist organization.” 

Trump DOJ Creates Second Amendment Task Force to Undo Damage of Biden Era

News  

Monday, April 14, 2025

Trump DOJ Creates Second Amendment Task Force to Undo Damage of Biden Era

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) formally announced the creation of a Second Amendment Task Force with Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring, “It is the policy of the Department of Justice to use its full ...

Washington: Permit to Purchase Bill Passes Senate

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Washington: Permit to Purchase Bill Passes Senate

On Monday, April 14th, the Senate passed House Bill 1163, the permit-to-purchase scheme, along party lines. It will now return to the House for concurrence with amendments made in the Senate. NRA members must urge ...

DOJ Drops Controversial NFA Charge Against Pardoned Jan. 6 Protestor

News  

Monday, April 21, 2025

DOJ Drops Controversial NFA Charge Against Pardoned Jan. 6 Protestor

Last February, NRA-ILA’s reporting exposed the case of Taylor Taranto, a pardoned January 6 protestor separately arrested on firearm charges in Washington, D.C. 

Tennessee: Pro-Gun Bills Advance to Governor's Desk

Monday, April 21, 2025

Tennessee: Pro-Gun Bills Advance to Governor's Desk

Last week, the Tennessee legislature passed two pro-gun bills, advancing them to Governor Bill Lee's desk for his consideration.

Tennessee: Legislative Session Adjourns with Wins for Gun Owners & the Firearm Industry

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Tennessee: Legislative Session Adjourns with Wins for Gun Owners & the Firearm Industry

Yesterday, April 22nd, the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned its 2025 legislative session. Two pro-gun bills received final passage and have been transmitted to Governor Lee’s desk for consideration:      

Florida: Legislation to Remove 2A Restrictions During Emergencies Sent to Governor’s Desk

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Florida: Legislation to Remove 2A Restrictions During Emergencies Sent to Governor’s Desk

Today, companion bills Senate Bill 952 and House Bill 6025, protecting our Second Amendment Rights during a state of emergency, received final passage from the legislature and will now head to Governor DeSantis's desk for his consideration.  

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.