The National Rifle Association will appear Wednesday at the first congressional hearings on gun violence in the wake of Newtown \u2013 at the invitation of Democrats.<\/p>\n
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy invited the group to testify alongside Mark Kelly, whose wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was shot at a Tucson supermarket in 20 while she was greeting constituents.<\/p>\n
The NRA strategy, at least according to prepared testimony, remains the same as it has since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.: push for armed guards in schools and insist that measures like an assault weapons ban and universal background checks won\u2019t help matters.
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\u201cWhen it comes to the issue of background checks, let\u2019s be honest \u2013 background checks will never be \u2018universal\u2019 \u2013 because criminals will never submit to them,\u201d chief NRA lobbyist Wayne LaPierre plans to say, according to prepared testimony released in advance of the hearing.<\/p>\n
Universal background checks \u2013 closing the loophole that allows private gun sales to people who haven\u2019t had a criminal records check \u2013 is one of the gun safety measures most likely to pass the Senate. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican, told Tulsa TV station KRMG that he is working with Democrats to craft a bill that would mandate the background checks.<\/p>\n