The National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in Washington, did little to advance its agenda over the past two years even with a gun-friendly president in the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress. The group spent a record $9.6 million lobbying lawmakers and federal agencies over the last two years, federal disclosures show, up from $5.9 million the previous two years. Yet it had few legislative victories to show for its efforts. None of its top five bills was signed into law. And now that Democrats control the U.S. House of Representatives, the NRA will likely be playing defense for the next two years. The lack of legislative results comes after the organization also saw a 15 percent drop in revenue, which declined to $312 million in 2017 from $367 million in 2016, the NRA’s most recent tax filing shows. The fundraising slump could be linked to a sense of complacency coming from having Republicans controlling Washington, membership recruiters say. The NRA also wielded a smaller purse in the 2018 midterm elections: The group and its political arm spent just $10 million, a 64 percent drop from the $28 million it contributed to races in 2014 and a fraction of the $55.6 million it spent in 2016 to help elect Donald Trump and other Republicans.
The National Rifle Association did little to advance its agenda over the past two years even with a gun-friendly president in the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress. The group spent a record $9.6 million lobbying lawmakers and federal agencies over the last two years, Yet it had few legislative victories to show for its efforts. None of its top five bills was signed into law And now that Democrats control the U.S. House of Representatives, the NRA will likely be playing defense for the next two years. The lack of legislative results comes after the organization also saw a 15 percent drop in revenue The fundraising slump could be linked to a sense of complacency coming from having Republicans controlling Washington, membership recruiters say. The NRA also wielded a smaller purse in the 2018 midterm election