Executive Summary
Why Does the National Rifle Association Leadership Support Congress's Biggest Opponents of Conservation?
Hunting is an American tradition that depends on conserving America's wilderness and wildlife. To fully enjoy our rights and heritage, hunters and shooters deserve leadership that will protect our guns and our land. Too often we've seen our public lands despoiled by reckless corporate interests and for too long Washington has ignored the threat climate change poses to our nation's cherished wilderness. America's hunters are beginning to ask: Where are our champions in Washington?
The National Rifle Association has long claimed to represent hunters and shooters, but this alarming report — the first of its kind ever produced — pulls the curtain back on the ugly truth: The NRA has overwhelmingly supported the biggest conservation opponents in Congress. Here is a quick summary of the facts uncovered in this report:
- Protecting Public Lands? In 2005, the House of Representatives considered the "Pombo-Gibbons Amendment," which would have allowed the sale of public wilderness lands to corporate interests at prices far below market value. While conservation groups across America came out against the Pombo-Gibbons Amendment, the NRA stayed silent. And what kind of ratings has the NRA given to the 172 House Members who voted for the Pombo-Gibbons Amendment? An A- average. For those Members who stood up for conservation and against Pombo-Gibbons, the NRA gave out an average rating of a D.
- Protecting Wildlife Habitat? In 2007, the Senate considered the "Katrina Amendment" to prevent future catastrophic flooding and protect wetlands and wildlife habitat threatened by climate change. Fifty-one Senators, recognizing the very real threat of global warming to our wild resources, voted in favor of the amendment while 40 Senators voted against it. On average, how much campaign money has the NRA given since 2000 to each Senator who voted for the wildlife amendment? $6,669. On average, how much campaign money did the NRA give to support the campaigns of each Senator who voted against the wildlife amendment? Ten times as much: $70,925.
- Out of line with America's most respected conservation organizations. $4,085,277 in campaign money to support the 193 Members of Congress who received poor conservation ratings from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and only $390,897 — 10 times less — to the 245 Members of Congress who have received high conservation ratings from LCV.
This report reveals how the NRA's leadership is spending its members' money on the biggest conservation opponents in Congress.
