U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- With the national midterm elections just eight weeks away, the National Shooting Sports Foundation has released its 2022 Congressional Report Card, and with but few exceptions, Capitol Hill Democrats are flunking.
The midterm elections happen Nov. 8, and grassroots activists are already busy reminding people they must be registered to vote, at their current address. There will be no excuse for playing hooky.
With so much on the line, especially the chance to change control of Congress and thus derail Joe Biden’s gun control agenda, voting is not a spectator sport. Biden recently doubled down on his pledge to ban so-called “assault weapons,” and if Democrats retain control of Capitol Hill, it is almost a certainty they will try to finish that job.
NSSF’s report card could be among the topics discussed at the upcoming Gun Rights Policy Conference in Dallas, Texas the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The event is co-sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It will be held at the Westin Dallas-Fort Worth Airport hotel, and will also be on multiple virtual platforms including YouTube and Facebook. The theme of this year’s event is “Target Victory,” and with the release of this report card, that may be a goal within reach.
In Pennsylvania last month, Biden told a crowd, “I’m determined to ban assault weapons in this country. Determined. I did it once before. And I’ll do it again. For many of you at home, I want to be clear. It’s not about taking away anybody’s guns. In fact, we should be treating responsible gun owners as examples how every gun owner should be. Over 48,000 people died from gunshot wounds in 2021 in the United States of America. Over 26,000 by suicide.”
Biden’s numbers in the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking poll remain in the basement, with 44 percent of likely voters approving of his job performance but 54 percent disapproving. It breaks down further with only 24 percent “strongly approving” and 45 percent “strongly disapproving,” essentially where Biden’s poll numbers have been hovering for several weeks. His presidential approval index rating is stalled at -21.
The six-page NSSF report card is a devastating illustration of the political chasm between the parties on the subject of guns and Second Amendment rights.
According to Mark Oliva, NSSF Public Affairs director, “NSSF awarded 32 U.S. Senators and 116 U.S. Representatives the highest rating of “A+.” This includes U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). These senators are all running for re-election in 2022. All U.S. House of Representatives seats will be voted upon in November.”
There are 40 “F” grades in the U.S. Senate, not a single one earned by a Republican. Independent Bernie Sanders earned an “F,” while only a single Democrat—Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia—earned an “A.”
Democrat Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona both garnered a “B+” and New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich received a “C.” Senators Michael Bennett of Colorado and Gary Peters of Michigan rated a “D+” while Washington’s Maria Cantwell and Arizona’s Mark Kelly earned a “D-.”
In the U.S. House, the “F” grades are simply too numerous to mention, but they are joined by a single Republican, Chris Smith from New Jersey.
“This scorecard is of vital importance to voters as we head into November elections,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “This tells voters exactly where their lawmakers stand on issues they care about like recreational shooting and hunting and the right to keep and bear arms. This nonpartisan scorecard reflects the voting record of each legislator. These grades indicate their public voting record as well as their sponsoring and co-sponsoring key legislation, their work on committees, letters signed to support issues and leadership to support our industry.”
As explained by NSSF, the organization grades each senator and representative based on a combination of support for NSSF-supported legislation, key votes and “leadership on industry-related issues, public statements, work on a committee, floor statements and letters led and signed supporting a key issue.”
The report card stressed, “Grades are meant to analyze the level of support of each lawmaker during the 117th Congress and do not constitute an endorsement or opposition to a candidate’s election.”
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
