Earlier this year during a special session, Speaker Cox not only blocked every single gun safety bill, he invited the NRA to set up shop in his conference room for the day. He adjourned the session just 90 minutes after it started, then told the Washington Post he would rather they discuss the bills “after the election.”
His work paid off. The NRA donated $200,000 to Republican leadership for their loyalty.
House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn issued the following statement:
“It’s really shocking to see how blatantly the NRA controls the House Republican leadership.
“Less than two months after blocking any discussion or allowing us to do our work to keep Virginians safe, it is disappointing the Republican leadership now receives this large donation.
“For those of us working on common sense gun violence prevention measures, and to the victims and survivors of gun violence, this is a sobering reminder of what we are up against when trying to make progress in order to keep Virginians safe. As Democrats we are working daily to ensure that we have a majority that will not run away from issues that the vast majority of Virginians want.
“Democratic Delegates and candidates are talking to voters every single day. Our shoe leather and commitment to working on behalf of all Virginians will win out over the Republican leadership’s allegiance to the National Rifle Association.”