Gun control: Is the NRA unbeatable?

NRA President David Keene predicts Congress won't ban assault weapons or high-capacity ammo clips

An AR-15 style rifle is displayed at the Firing-Line indoor range and gun shop in Aurora, Colo.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

As Vice President Joe Biden and his gun-safety task force prepare a list of recommendations for President Obama this week, the head of the National Rifle Association suggests that Team Obama can save itself the effort on at least two likely proposals, a ban on selling military-style assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition clips. Leaving open the caveat that "you don't want to make predictions" when "a president takes all the power of his office" and is "willing to expend political capital," NRA President David Keene nonetheless told CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday, "I would say that the likelihood is that they are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress," nor a ban on high-capacity clips.

Despite the murder of 20 first graders last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., "I'm willing to say that guns in this country have as much influence as they always have, and perhaps more," Keene added. The NRA, while open to barring the mentally ill from buying guns, is "not willing to compromise on people's rights when there's no evidence that doing so will solve the problem." Any gun control measures have a better shot in the Democratic-controlled Senate than in the GOP-run House, but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is equally dismissive of an assault weapons ban's chance of success in the upper chamber of Congress.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.